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–+ servings
Italian stuffed shells with meat sauce and ricotta

Classic Italian Stuffed Shells

A creamy and cheesy baked pasta. Stuffed shells are great for holidays and family parties because you can prepare them in advance!
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 8 servings
Calories 400 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 large pot
  • 1 large saucepan
  • 1 pyrex baking dish

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb jumbo shells or conchiglie
  • 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 4 basil leaves
  • 1 30 oz container ricotta
  • 1 ¼ cup mozzarella
  • ½ cup grated parmesan
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Instructions
 

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add your jumbo shells and boil for 5 minutes. Remove and place on an oiled baking tray to cool.
  • Bring a large saucepan to medium-high heat. Season ground beef with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon of black pepper. Brown ground beef until you can no longer see any pink. Remove the ground beef with a slotted spoon and clean out the pan.
  • Return the pan to medium heat. Add 2 tablespoon olive oil. Stir in 1 clove minced garlic. Saute for 1 minute and then stir in the crushed tomatoes. Add 1 teaspoon salt and basil leaves. Bring the sauce to a simmer and then add the ground beef back in. Simmer for 15 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 375℉. In a large bowl, combine ricotta, egg, parmesan, ½ cup mozzarella, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, parsley, and the rest of the minced garlic. Mix well.
  • Using a spoon fill each shell with the ricotta filling. Spoon a layer of sauce into the pyrex dish. Place your stuffed shells into the pan. I like to place mine with the opening on the bottom and press each shell tightly up against one another until they are all stuffed into the dish. Top with the rest of the sauce and then add a layer of mozzarella. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese and sauce are bubbling. Serve hot!

Notes

  1. Don't cook the shells completely through but also be aware that they are cooking evenly by stirring them often in the pot. 
  2. Make sure the shells are packed tightly up against each other, otherwise they will ooze out their filling. 
  3. If you don't use all the sauce, save some for leftovers!

Nutrition

Calories: 400kcal
Keyword pasta
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