Stuffed Shells Recipe

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Prep Time35

Cook Time55

Total Time1 30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: how to make stuffing for stuffed shells, stuffed pasta shells, stuffed shells, stuffed shells recipe, stuffed shells with meat

Servings: servings

Calories: 704kcal

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt divided
1 teaspoon garlic powder divided
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper divided
3 cups tomato sauce (I prefer homemade tomato sauce but store-bought, jarred sauce will work too)
10 ounces jumbo pasta shells
15 ounces ricotta cheese (I like whole milk ricotta but part-skim will work too)
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese divided (I like whole milk mozzarella but part-skim will work too)
¼ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese plus extra for garnish
1 egg large
2 tablespoons flat-leaf Italian parsley finely minced

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
When the oil is shimmering, add the ground beef, 1 teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, ½ teaspoon of Italian seasoning, and ⅛ teaspoon of pepper.
Cook, stirring, until the meat is no longer pink.
Stir in the tomato sauce and bring the mixture up to a simmer.
Cook the pasta shells according to the directions on the package.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, half the mozzarella, the Parmigiano, egg, the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt, the remaining ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, the remaining ⅛ teaspoon of pepper, and the parsley, folding together until blended.
Coat the bottom of a 2-quart baking dish with about ⅔ of the meat sauce.
Fill each pasta shell with about 2 to 3 tablespoons of the filling, then nestle the stuffed shells over the sauce and into the baking dish.
Top with the remaining meat sauce and mozzarella cheese.
Cover with foil and bake in a preheated 375 degree F oven until bubbling (approx. 30 minutes), then uncover and allow the cheese to brown (about 10 minutes more).
Garnish with Parmigiana, if desired.