Stuffed shells with meat is my go-to recipe when I want a dinner that’s hearty, kid-approved, and that yields plenty of leftovers. (And they’re just as delicious the second time around!)
Traditional stuffed shells are fantastic, don’t get me wrong. But there’s not much there there. I’ll never turn down pasta, cheese, and sauce, but if you want something a little more substantive for dinner, stuffed shells with meat are your answer.
I love this meal because it’s a good balance of decadence and nutrition. Yeah, it’s still pasta and cheese. But you’re also getting lots of protein in there too. It feels more like a full meal—although a side salad is definitely a welcome addition too! (Maybe this classic spinach salad?)
And although stuffed shells with meat do take some time—you have to spoon or pipe the filling into the pasta shells —using a jar of store-bought sauce makes it a lot easier, and I promise as long as you use a quality brand, you won’t notice the difference.
About this Stuffed Shells With Meat Recipe
- The heartiest stuffed shells. Between the cheese, the pasta, and the browned ground beef (or turkey), these stuffed shells are seriously satisfying. If your family loves pasta with meat sauce, they’ll flip for this recipe!
- Lots of leftovers. If you’re serving young kids, you’ll definitely end up with leftovers to bring with you to work the next day. While I figure about 5 shells per adult, if you have kids in the family, you’ll likely have 5 or 6 shells to pop in the fridge for later. And they’re just as good the next day!
- Easy to meal prep. You can brown the beef in advance, make the sauce a day or two before, mix the filling ahead of time, or just go ahead and assemble everything and refrigerate your stuffed shells until you’re ready to bake them.
- Versatile. There are lots of options when you’re making stuffed shells with meat! I share some ideas below, but feel free to make this recipe your own.
What you need
- Jumbo Pasta Shells: The big shells meant for stuffing! The Italian name for jumbo pasta shells is conchiglioni. As an alternative, you can use cannelloni pasta tubes.
- Lean Ground Beef: Or use ground turkey or ground Italian sausage. A plant-based meat would also work.
- Yellow Onion and Garlic: For adding extra flavor to the sauce. This makes it taste more like homemade!
- Italian Seasoning: Another secret to doctoring up a store-bought pasta sauce.
- Spaghetti or Marinara Sauce: Use a decent one! You don’t want to use a sauce that’s thin, watery, or bland.
- Ricotta Cheese: Whole milk, part-skim—whatever kind of ricotta you prefer.
- Shredded Mozzarella Cheese: Freshly shredded will give you the best results!
- Parmesan Cheese: I also recommend shredding your own Parm. It will melt much more smoothly!
- Fresh Parsley: Or substitute 1 tablespoon of dried parsley. If you use fresh, reserve some for the garnish, too.
- Egg: Lightly beat the egg so it mixes evenly into the filling.
- Coarse Ground Pepper: Fresh, coarsely ground black pepper doesn’t just add flavor, but also a bit of texture to these stuffed shells with meat sauce. It’s much more aromatic than store-bought ground pepper too!
How to make it
Preheat your oven to 375°F and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Cook the pasta shells to al dente, following the package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water until the shells are cool enough to handle. Set the shells on a baking sheet lined with paper towels or a lint-free kitchen towel to dry.
Cooking Tip
Boil the shells in a very large pot—larger than you think you need. This will help keep them from sticking to each other, then tearing.
Brown the onion and meat in a large skillet set over medium-high heat until the meat is cooked through and no longer pink, breaking it up as you go.
Stir in the garlic and Italian seasoning . Cook for 1 minute, or until the garlic is fragrant.
Add the spaghetti sauce and stir to combine. Remove from heat.
In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, 1/2 cup Parmesan, parsley, egg, and pepper until well-combined.
Fill the shells evenly with the cheese mixture; you can use a piping bag or a zip-top bag with the corner cut off to make this process easier, or just use a spoon. It’s up to you!
Spread about 1/3 of the sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. On top of the sauce, place the stuffed shells.
Pour the remaining sauce over the tops. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.
Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then, carefully uncover and continue to bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is browned, the shells are heated through, and the sauce is bubbling.
Let rest 5-10 minutes before serving.
How to make these Stuffed Shells With Meat your own
- Make them even easier: If you want to streamline this recipe a little bit, buy a high-quality jar of meat sauce and use that instead of browning your own meat.
- Make them without ricotta: If you’re not crazy about ricotta, purée cottage cheese for an ultra silky texture which isn’t as grainy as ricotta can tend to be.
- Skip the stuffing: You can stir small cooked pasta shells into the sauce, then layer them in a baking dish with the ricotta filling and cheese for an unstuffed shells with meat recipe.
- Or use ravioli: For an even simpler dinner, pour the meat sauce over cheese ravioli, sprinkle the mozzarella and Parmesan on top, and bake that until bubbly and golden. Yum.
- Add vegetables: Spinach is an easy addition to the filling. Thaw a block of frozen spinach, squeeze all the moisture out, then stir it into the ricotta mixture. You can also replace half of the meat in the sauce with diced mushrooms.
What to Serve With Stuffed Shells
A salad—like this gazpacho salad—is an excellent accompaniment to stuffed shells with meat. You can also work some veggies in with an easy side dish like air fryer green beans, grilled zucchini, or roasted cauliflower.
Of course, you can’t go wrong with Texas toast garlic bread either!
Make Ahead Ideas
Make stuffed shells with meat ahead of time and refrigerate it until you are ready to bake it. It makes a large casserole so if you want, divide it into two dishes and freeze one to bake and eat later.
Storage & Reheating Suggestions
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Reheat stuffed shells with meat in the microwave or covered tightly in a 350ºF oven until warmed through.
You can freeze these stuffed shells in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating according to the instructions above.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
servings
Prevent your screen from going dark
Stuffed shells with meat is my go-to recipe when I want a dinner that’s hearty, kid-approved, and that yields plenty of leftovers. (And they’re just as delicious the second time around!)
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 375°F.
-
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the pasta shells to al dente according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool them enough to handle. Place shells on a paper-towel (or lint-free kitchen towel) lined baking sheet to dry.
-
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add ground meat and diced onion.
-
Cook until meat is cooked through and no longer pink, breaking it up as you go.
-
Add garlic and Italian seasoning and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute or until garlic is fragrant.
-
Add spaghetti sauce and stir to combine. Remove from heat.
-
For the filling: In a medium bowl, mix together ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, ½ cup parmesan, parsley, egg, and pepper until combined.
-
Fill the shells evenly with the cheese mixture (use a piping bag or a zip-top bag with the corner cut off to make this process easier!).
-
Spray a 9×13 pan with nonstick cooking spray. Spread about 1/3 of the sauce in the bottom of the pan. On top of the sauce, place the stuffed shells. On top of the shells, pour over the remaining sauce. Top with remaining 1 cup mozzarella and ⅓ cup parmesan cheese.
-
Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Carefully uncover and continue to bake for 10 minutes or until browned, heated through, and bubbling. Let rest 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- You may wish to boil 1-2 extra jumbo pasta shells in case one tears. Our 12 ounce box had 42 shells which allows you to make this recipe twice, each with an extra pasta shell, just in case.
- Recipe retested and updated February 2024.
- Nutrition information calculated using lean ground beef as the meat component of this dish.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 5stuffed shells, Calories: 874kcal, Carbohydrates: 48g, Protein: 65g, Fat: 47g, Saturated Fat: 25g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 15g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 236mg, Sodium: 1745mg, Potassium: 1229mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 2177IU, Vitamin C: 19mg, Calcium: 875mg, Iron: 6mg
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
#Stuffed #Shells #Meat #Rachel #Cooks
Stuffed shells with meat is my go-to recipe when I want a dinner that’s hearty, kid-approved, and that yields plenty of leftovers. (And they’re just as delicious the second time around!)
Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: A more filling version of the classic stuffed shells recipe
How long it takes: 30 minutes of prep, plus 40 minutes of cooking
Equipment you’ll need: A large pot and a casserole dish
Servings: 4
Traditional stuffed shells are fantastic, don’t get me wrong. But there’s not much there there. I’ll never turn down pasta, cheese, and sauce, but if you want something a little more substantive for dinner, stuffed shells with meat are your answer.
I love this meal because it’s a good balance of decadence and nutrition. Yeah, it’s still pasta and cheese. But you’re also getting lots of protein in there too. It feels more like a full meal—although a side salad is definitely a welcome addition too! (Maybe this classic spinach salad?)
And although stuffed shells with meat do take some time—you have to spoon or pipe the filling into the pasta shells —using a jar of store-bought sauce makes it a lot easier, and I promise as long as you use a quality brand, you won’t notice the difference.
About this Stuffed Shells With Meat Recipe
- The heartiest stuffed shells. Between the cheese, the pasta, and the browned ground beef (or turkey), these stuffed shells are seriously satisfying. If your family loves pasta with meat sauce, they’ll flip for this recipe!
- Lots of leftovers. If you’re serving young kids, you’ll definitely end up with leftovers to bring with you to work the next day. While I figure about 5 shells per adult, if you have kids in the family, you’ll likely have 5 or 6 shells to pop in the fridge for later. And they’re just as good the next day!
- Easy to meal prep. You can brown the beef in advance, make the sauce a day or two before, mix the filling ahead of time, or just go ahead and assemble everything and refrigerate your stuffed shells until you’re ready to bake them.
- Versatile. There are lots of options when you’re making stuffed shells with meat! I share some ideas below, but feel free to make this recipe your own.
What you need
- Jumbo Pasta Shells: The big shells meant for stuffing! The Italian name for jumbo pasta shells is conchiglioni. As an alternative, you can use cannelloni pasta tubes.
- Lean Ground Beef: Or use ground turkey or ground Italian sausage. A plant-based meat would also work.
- Yellow Onion and Garlic: For adding extra flavor to the sauce. This makes it taste more like homemade!
- Italian Seasoning: Another secret to doctoring up a store-bought pasta sauce.
- Spaghetti or Marinara Sauce: Use a decent one! You don’t want to use a sauce that’s thin, watery, or bland.
- Ricotta Cheese: Whole milk, part-skim—whatever kind of ricotta you prefer.
- Shredded Mozzarella Cheese: Freshly shredded will give you the best results!
- Parmesan Cheese: I also recommend shredding your own Parm. It will melt much more smoothly!
- Fresh Parsley: Or substitute 1 tablespoon of dried parsley. If you use fresh, reserve some for the garnish, too.
- Egg: Lightly beat the egg so it mixes evenly into the filling.
- Coarse Ground Pepper: Fresh, coarsely ground black pepper doesn’t just add flavor, but also a bit of texture to these stuffed shells with meat sauce. It’s much more aromatic than store-bought ground pepper too!
How to make it
Preheat your oven to 375°F and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Cook the pasta shells to al dente, following the package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water until the shells are cool enough to handle. Set the shells on a baking sheet lined with paper towels or a lint-free kitchen towel to dry.
Cooking Tip
Boil the shells in a very large pot—larger than you think you need. This will help keep them from sticking to each other, then tearing.
Brown the onion and meat in a large skillet set over medium-high heat until the meat is cooked through and no longer pink, breaking it up as you go.
Stir in the garlic and Italian seasoning . Cook for 1 minute, or until the garlic is fragrant.
Add the spaghetti sauce and stir to combine. Remove from heat.
In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, 1/2 cup Parmesan, parsley, egg, and pepper until well-combined.
Fill the shells evenly with the cheese mixture; you can use a piping bag or a zip-top bag with the corner cut off to make this process easier, or just use a spoon. It’s up to you!
Spread about 1/3 of the sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. On top of the sauce, place the stuffed shells.
Pour the remaining sauce over the tops. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.
Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then, carefully uncover and continue to bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is browned, the shells are heated through, and the sauce is bubbling.
Let rest 5-10 minutes before serving.
How to make these Stuffed Shells With Meat your own
- Make them even easier: If you want to streamline this recipe a little bit, buy a high-quality jar of meat sauce and use that instead of browning your own meat.
- Make them without ricotta: If you’re not crazy about ricotta, purée cottage cheese for an ultra silky texture which isn’t as grainy as ricotta can tend to be.
- Skip the stuffing: You can stir small cooked pasta shells into the sauce, then layer them in a baking dish with the ricotta filling and cheese for an unstuffed shells with meat recipe.
- Or use ravioli: For an even simpler dinner, pour the meat sauce over cheese ravioli, sprinkle the mozzarella and Parmesan on top, and bake that until bubbly and golden. Yum.
- Add vegetables: Spinach is an easy addition to the filling. Thaw a block of frozen spinach, squeeze all the moisture out, then stir it into the ricotta mixture. You can also replace half of the meat in the sauce with diced mushrooms.
What to Serve With Stuffed Shells
A salad—like this gazpacho salad—is an excellent accompaniment to stuffed shells with meat. You can also work some veggies in with an easy side dish like air fryer green beans, grilled zucchini, or roasted cauliflower.
Of course, you can’t go wrong with Texas toast garlic bread either!
Make Ahead Ideas
Make stuffed shells with meat ahead of time and refrigerate it until you are ready to bake it. It makes a large casserole so if you want, divide it into two dishes and freeze one to bake and eat later.
Storage & Reheating Suggestions
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Reheat stuffed shells with meat in the microwave or covered tightly in a 350ºF oven until warmed through.
You can freeze these stuffed shells in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating according to the instructions above.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
servings
Prevent your screen from going dark
Stuffed shells with meat is my go-to recipe when I want a dinner that’s hearty, kid-approved, and that yields plenty of leftovers. (And they’re just as delicious the second time around!)
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 375°F.
-
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the pasta shells to al dente according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool them enough to handle. Place shells on a paper-towel (or lint-free kitchen towel) lined baking sheet to dry.
-
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add ground meat and diced onion.
-
Cook until meat is cooked through and no longer pink, breaking it up as you go.
-
Add garlic and Italian seasoning and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute or until garlic is fragrant.
-
Add spaghetti sauce and stir to combine. Remove from heat.
-
For the filling: In a medium bowl, mix together ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, ½ cup parmesan, parsley, egg, and pepper until combined.
-
Fill the shells evenly with the cheese mixture (use a piping bag or a zip-top bag with the corner cut off to make this process easier!).
-
Spray a 9×13 pan with nonstick cooking spray. Spread about 1/3 of the sauce in the bottom of the pan. On top of the sauce, place the stuffed shells. On top of the shells, pour over the remaining sauce. Top with remaining 1 cup mozzarella and ⅓ cup parmesan cheese.
-
Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Carefully uncover and continue to bake for 10 minutes or until browned, heated through, and bubbling. Let rest 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- You may wish to boil 1-2 extra jumbo pasta shells in case one tears. Our 12 ounce box had 42 shells which allows you to make this recipe twice, each with an extra pasta shell, just in case.
- Recipe retested and updated February 2024.
- Nutrition information calculated using lean ground beef as the meat component of this dish.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 5stuffed shells, Calories: 874kcal, Carbohydrates: 48g, Protein: 65g, Fat: 47g, Saturated Fat: 25g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 15g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 236mg, Sodium: 1745mg, Potassium: 1229mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 2177IU, Vitamin C: 19mg, Calcium: 875mg, Iron: 6mg
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
, Stuffed Shells With Meat – Rachel Cooks®