Ooo yes—comfort food classic 😌🍝
Here’s a solid, crowd-pleasing stuffed shells with meat recipe. Cozy, saucy, and very forgiving.
Stuffed Shells with Meat
Ingredients
- 20–24 jumbo pasta shells
- 1 lb ground meat (beef, Italian sausage, or a mix)
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- 1½ cups shredded mozzarella, divided
- ½ cup grated Parmesan
- 1 egg
- 2–3 cups marinara sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Optional but great: chopped parsley or basil, red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Cook the shells
Boil in well-salted water until just al dente (they finish cooking in the oven). Drain and lay them out so they don’t stick. - Brown the meat
In a skillet, cook the meat over medium heat. Add garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Drain excess fat and let cool slightly. - Make the filling
In a bowl, mix:- Ricotta
- 1 cup mozzarella
- Parmesan
- Egg
- Cooked meat
Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Assemble
- Spread 1 cup marinara in the bottom of a baking dish.
- Stuff each shell generously and place seam-up in the dish.
- Spoon remaining sauce over shells.
- Bake
- Cover with foil and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 25 minutes
- Uncover, sprinkle remaining mozzarella, and bake 10–15 more minutes until bubbly and lightly golden.
- Rest & serve
Let sit 5–10 minutes before serving (helps them hold together).
Pro Tips
- Want extra richness? Mix a little cream cheese into the filling.
- Like heat? Use hot Italian sausage or add chili flakes.
- Make-ahead friendly: assemble, cover, refrigerate up to 24 hours, then bake.
If you want, I can tweak this for no-ricotta, extra cheesy, spicy, or slow-cooker vibes 👀
