Description
These Beef Stuffed Shells are a hearty and comforting Italian-American dish featuring jumbo pasta shells filled with a savory mixture of ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, basil pesto, and seasoned ground beef in a rich tomato meat sauce. Baked to perfection with melted cheese topping and garnished with fresh parsley, they’re perfect for family dinners or entertaining guests.
Ingredients
Pasta
- 25 jumbo pasta shells
- Olive oil, for tossing
Meat Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 pound ground beef
- 24 ounce jar of spaghetti sauce or easy homemade pasta sauce
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Fresh cracked pepper, to taste
Cheese Stuffing
- 15 ounce container whole milk ricotta cheese
- 8 ounces shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese, divided
- 2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons basil pesto
- 1 egg, beaten
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Fresh cracked pepper, to taste
Garnish
- Fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking the stuffed shells.
- Cook pasta: Boil the jumbo pasta shells for 2 minutes less than package instructions. This ensures they’ll finish cooking perfectly in the oven. Toss cooked shells with olive oil to prevent sticking and set aside.
- Sauté aromatics: In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onion with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally until softened.
- Add garlic and seasoning: Stir in minced garlic, tomato paste, and Italian seasoning. Cook for another minute, stirring frequently to combine flavors.
- Cook beef: Push the veggies to the pan edges creating a well. Add ground beef to the center, seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook while crumbling until browned and fully cooked through.
- Simmer meat sauce: Pour in spaghetti sauce, seasoning with salt and pepper. Let it simmer over medium to medium-low heat for a few minutes while preparing the stuffing.
- Prepare cheese filling: In a large bowl, mix ricotta, half of the shredded mozzarella, Parmesan, basil pesto, beaten egg, and season with salt and pepper to taste until well combined.
- Assemble baking dish: Spread about 1.5 cups of the meat sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Stuff shells: Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the cheese mixture into each pasta shell. Arrange the shells in a single layer seam side up in the baking dish. Pour remaining meat sauce evenly over the filled shells.
- Add topping and cover: Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese on top. Cover the dish tightly with foil.
- Bake: Bake covered for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly around the edges.
- Rest and serve: Let the dish sit a few minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and enjoy!
Notes
- Boiling the pasta shells slightly underdone allows them to finish cooking perfectly in the oven without becoming mushy.
- Using whole milk cheeses creates a richer, creamier filling; you can substitute part-skim cheese for a lighter version.
- If you prefer a vegetarian option, ground beef can be replaced with a meat alternative or sautéed mushrooms.
- Reserve some pasta cooking water if necessary to loosen the sauce when assembling.
- Covering the dish with foil ensures the shells steam and remain moist during baking.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated in the oven.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
