Perfectly "Stuffed Shells" Recipe - Comfortable Food (2024)

This baked stuffed shells recipe is a comfort food classic that combines ground beef, marinara sauce, and three types of cheese. The ultimate stuffed shells, perfectly browned and beyond delicious.

Feel free to use store-bought pasta sauce. And if you have extra time, my homemade Italian marinara recipe sauce is heavenly.

⭐ Easy stuffed shells with meat

When it comes to pasta dishes, there are a few delicious recipes out there that come high on my list of favorites italian recipes. From my delicious cheesy stuffed rigatoni recipe to these stuffed shells with ground beef are pure comfort food bliss!

It is comfort food at its finest and a must-have midweek meal for my kids, they go crazy for this dish! The jumbo pasta shells filled with the delicious cheeses are filling, and when combined with marinara sauce, it is one hearty meal.

The dish is perfect for swapping and changing a few ingredients to your liking and can be made for vegetarians if required. I usually buy a grocery store marinara sauce to save time. Still, if I have time, I will generally make a homemade marinara sauce to generate more compliments from the family!

With basic steps to follow and only a handful of household ingredients involved, anyone can prepare this delicious recipe in no time whatsoever. And with the best top tips on hand and variations to match everyone's taste buds, making stuffed shells will be a walk in the park!

For busy weekdays check out my collection of best pasta recipes with few ingredients.

🍽 Ingredients notes

I am using a store-bought tomato sauce and a mixture of Italian dried herbs here, but you can make a homemade marinara sauce if you want and chop some fresh herbs like fresh basil and fresh parsley!

Learn more about differenttypes of Pasta and types of pasta sauce you can use for your pasta meals.

🔪 How to make

If you love cheese like I do and want a satisfying meal to enjoy with your family or a romantic dinner for 2, then this recipe is for you. This recipe is made with easy-to-follow steps and uses household equipment to bake the dish!

Preparation

• Cook the pasta in boiling water for about 1 minute less than the package suggests.
• Drain and run cool water over the shells.(to keep the shells from sticking together, I added about 1 tablespoon olive oil to the water and stirred them gently).
• Preheat oven to about 350°F (177°C)

Cooking Instructions

Step 1
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, generously add salt and pepper and sauté until softened - about 4 - 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two.

Step 2
Add the beef and cook until browned, breaking it up as it cooks. When the beef is almost cooked through.

Step 3
Sprinkle the Italian herbs over it.

Step 4
Then add your spaghetti sauce or fresh Italian Marinara sauce,incorporate and remove from heat. Store-bought for easy dinners and fresh marinara for special occasions.

Step 5
In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, and egg - mix well.

Step 6
Then mix into the beef mixture.

Step 7
In a separate baking dish, pour some ofthe sauce leftovers into the bottom of the dish and spread them evenly. This is the baking dish we will be putting in the oven. Finish this, then set it aside.

Now it's time to get those shells stuffed! Stuff them liberally with beef and ricotta cheese or (cottage cheese). The cheese should act as a sort of culinary binder, making it easier for the meat to stay in place within the pasta.

Step 8
With the shells stuffed, it's time to assemble the dish. In the baking dish with the pasta or marinara sauce, place the jumbo pasta shells into the baking dish with the rounded part facing up and the stuffing in the sauce.

Step 9
Cover the entire ensemble with the meat sauce you prepared. Then put all the leftover cheese on top of the meat sauce. The cheese will melt in the oven and make a nice top for the dish.

Step 10
Cover the baking dish with foil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. For the last 10 minutes, remove the foil so the cheese can brown properly. When you remove the foil, keep it handy in case you need to store leftovers.

Take the baking dish out of the oven, and garnish the casserole as you see fit.

💭 Cooking tips

• Use a piping bag or a zip lock bag to fill the jumbo shells. It is possible to spoon the mixture into the pasta shells without difficulty, but if you have more than 40 shells to fill, I recommend pouring the mixture into a zip lock bag, cut off the end, and stuff the pasta shells to save time.
• Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pasta water to stop them from sticking together, and stir the pot every minute so that the pasta shells don't stick to the bottom of the pot.
• The jumbo shells only need partially boiling due to them cooking longer in the oven, so make sure you don't overcook them. The pasta should be crunchy and not cooked after the boiling process.
• Depending on the size of your baking dish, you may end up with leftover pasta sauce. If you have remaining sauce, save it for other dinner recipes like spaghetti Bolognese or other pasta dishes.

📖 Recipe variations

The beauty of this dish is that you can substitute any ingredient with another, which is great for picky eaters or people who like a bit of spice with their foods. Check out some of these variations to include the next time you make this delicious stuffed shell recipe.

• If ground beef is not part of your weekly diet plan, try using Italian sausage, ground chicken, or turkey instead. Chicken is the perfect alternative to use with pasta recipes.
• Since this recipe involves three different kinds of cheese, it is possible to change them for similar variants like whipped cottage cheese instead of ricotta cheese or cheddar instead of parmesan cheese.
• If you are vegetarian, try Jumbo Stuffed Shells with mushrooms and smoked gouda sauce. I always tend to go with mushrooms when I am cooking meatless—they are so flavorful, and I love their texture.
• Swap the marinara sauce for alfredo if you want something more creamy to go with the ricotta filling.

🥗 Filling ideas

There is a special place in Italy that makes this classic stuffed shells recipe with 20 different types of fillings that all taste amazing. I have tried to replicate a few of them and found these the easiest and best tasting.

Chopped spinach & ricotta filling

Simple, but tasty! All you need to do to prepare this filling is finely chop 3 garlic cloves and 1 onion, then sauté them with fresh or frozen spinach in a skillet until the liquid dissolves. Sprinkle in salt n pepper to taste and mix with the cheese mixture.

Chicken & mushroom filling

Another excellent option for stuffed pasta shells! Mince 1 chicken breast and sauté in a skillet with finely chopped mushrooms, 2 garlic cloves, and 1 onion. Once the liquid has dissolved, and the mixture is combined, add 1 cup of cream to the skillet, bring to a boil and mix with the cheese mixture ready for filling.

Prawn & crab filling

This is one of the more expensive fillings to make, but it sure does taste good! Sauté 200g crab meat and 200g prawns in a hot skillet with garlic butter until golden and cooked through, then add in the tomato sauce for a few minutes until bubbling before taking the skillet off the heat and mixing the cheeses.

🥫 Storage

Stuffed shells are great for meal prep during the week because they stay fresh for up to 4 days in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer.

Fridge

To store the stuffed shells in the fridge, cover the baking dish with aluminum foil once it goes cold and then transfer it to the fridge. Alternatively, you can transfer the remainder of the ingredients to an airtight container.

Freezer

To freeze stuffed shells, assemble the dish and cover it with aluminum foil or plastic wrap to be airtight, then keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you want to bake it, preheat the oven and bake it for 40 minutes from frozen.

⏲️ Make ahead

To do this, you will need to cook the pasta shells, cool them, and stuff them with ricotta filling. Then line them up on the marinara sauce, cover the baking dish with aluminum foil, and pop it in the fridge.

Take the dish out of the fridge as soon as you start to preheat the oven and sprinkle mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese over the top. Cook the stuffed shells for 30 minutes and serve.

I recommend baking the jumbo shells stuffed with cheese the same day or at most 24 hours for maximum freshness!

If you love my stuffed shells recipe. Try one of these fantastic pasta recipesfor your next meal.

👪 Serving size

Whether you want to mix up the filling or follow the classic version demonstrated here, you will be sure to love baked stuffed shells after the first bite!

Stuffed shells that serve 6 people are easy to prepare, perfect for freezing and baking on a weeknight, versatile and cheap to make, and most of all, it is delicious!

For uncomplicated comfort food the whole family will enjoy, it is time to put on your apron and start cooking delicious meals! If you have a busy week I recommend you to try my 20 minute penne carbonara recipe and my olive garden giant cheese stuffed shells recipe, they are super easy to make and taste unbelievable!

Check out my fantastic four cheese stuffed manicotti recipe that you can have it on your table in less than 1 hour!

🎥 Watch how to make it

📋 Recipe