Stuffed Shells With Meat

This stuffed shells with meat recipe is loaded with flavor. The jumbo pasta shells are stuffed with creamy ricotta cheese and seasoned ground beef, covered in a rich marinara sauce. This recipe is easy to make, and it's guaranteed to be a family favorite!

The Best Stuffed Shells With Meat

This stuffed shells recipe with meat is comfort food at its finest. It tastes just like something you'd get at your favorite Italian restaurant, but it's easy enough to make at home for a busy weeknight dinner.

These stuffed shells with ground beef are filled with a rich and creamy Italian cheese blend with savory pesto. Then they're covered in a delicious hearty meat sauce and mozzarella cheese before being baked to perfection.

Each flavorful bite tastes better than the last, and these meat stuffed shells are a recipe that's sure to impress. Serve them with these Olive Garden bread sticks and this house salad, and everyone won't be able to stop talking about dinner! 

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Simple to make. The process of making this recipe is really straightforward, so don't be intimidated! Even if this is your first time making stuffed shells, you'll find the recipe to be really simple.

The flavor. These stuffed shells with ground beef really taste like something you'd get from a restaurant. Hearty, comforting, savory, and cheesy, they're so good! 

Family favorite. This has been a staple in the Duff household for quite some time now. Whenever we want to go big for pasta night, these stuffed shells with meat sauce are our go-to recipe. Everyone agrees they get better each time!

Ingredients

Another reason to love this easy stuffed shells recipe is it's made with really basic ingredients, and those ingredients are:

• 12 oz. jumbo pasta shells
• ½ lb. ground beef 
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup pesto
• 2 cups marinara sauce
• Fresh herbs for garnish

By the way, you can use many of the ingredients from this recipe to make this Olive Garden stuffed shells recipe. So consider trying that recipe for another version of Italian stuffed shells.

How To Make Stuffed Shells With Meat

1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

2. Cook the pasta: Take out a large pot, fill it with salted water, and bring it to a boil. Cook the pasta shells in salted boiling water according to the package instructions. Drain and rinse the shells under cold water when the pasta is done cooking.

3. Cook the ground meat: Add the onions and ground beef to a large skillet. Cook them over medium-high heat until the ground beef has browned on all sides. Drain the excess grease and let the meat cool slightly.

4. Make the cheese mixture: Add 1 ½ cups of the shredded mozzarella cheese, all of the ricotta cheese, all of the parmesan cheese, the egg, pesto, and half of the meat and onion mixture to a large bowl. Give everything a good mix to combine, then set it aside.

5. Prep the shells: Spread ¾ cup of the marinara sauce of your choice in the bottom of a 13x9-inch baking dish. In a large bowl, stir together the remaining sauce and the remaining half of the ground beef mixture. Set it aside.

6. Stuff the shells: Fill all of the cooked and cooled pasta shells with the ricotta mixture. Arrange the stuffed shells on top of the sauce in the bottom of the baking dish.

7. Complete the stuffed shells: Top the stuffed shells with all of the meat sauce and sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of mozzarella cheese on top.

8. Bake: Cover the baking dish with foil and bake the shells for 30 minutes. Remove the foil cover and bake for another 10 minutes until the cheese is golden brown.

9. Serve: Garnish these delicious stuffed shells with meat with fresh herbs and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Tips To Make The Best Recipe

• Cook the pasta shells al dente since they'll cook a little more when the whole dish bakes in the oven. About 2-3 minutes less than the normal cooking time is best.
• Mix the cooked shells in olive oil so they don't stick together.
• Break the ground beef apart as it cooks so it browns evenly on all sides.
• Use ground chicken or ground turkey for a leaner protein option. You can even use Italian sausage for a true Italian meal.
• Mix Italian seasoning with the sauce for even more flavor.

How To Store Stuffed Shells With Meat

In the fridge: Either cover the baking dish with a lid or transfer the shells to an airtight container and store the leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.

In the freezer: Transfer the leftover shells to an airtight container or freezer-safe bag and freeze stuffed shells for up to 3 months.

Reheating: To reheat stuffed shells, place them back in the baking dish and heat them at 325°F for about 10-15 minutes, or until they reach your desired temperature. You'll want to add more time for frozen shells or let them thaw in the fridge overnight.

FAQS About This Stuffed Shells With Meat Recipe

What goes best with stuffed shells?

Stuffed shells go really well with a Caesar salad or this La Scala chopped salad for a light side. They're also delicious with bread like these Texas Roadhouse rolls or garlic bread. I love dipping garlic bread in the sauce.

What's the difference between manicotti and stuffed shells?

Both are stuffed with a mixture of cheeses and sometimes ground meat, but manicotti uses pasta shaped like a large tube, while stuffed shells are made with jumbo shells.

What is the Italian name for stuffed shells?

The Italian name for stuffed shells is conchiglioni or conchiglie, which means shell.  

What vegetables go well with stuffed shells?

Spinach is perfect for adding to the ricotta mixture to fill the shells, but finely chopped broccoli or peas are great too.

More Pasta Recipes

• Carbone spicy rigatoni
• Hibachi noodles
• Crack chicken pasta
• Spaghetti with shrimp
• Tortellini bake
• Beefaroni
• Rasta pasta