Stuffed Shells Recipe
The best stuffed shells recipe that is packed with flavors and makes for the perfect dinner! Tender pasta shells stuffed with a creamy ricotta and spinach filling, on a bed of pasta meat sauce.
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Servings 6 servings
Ingredients
- 6 oz jumbo pasta shells about 20 shells
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Meat Sauce-
- 1/3 cup red or yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 lb ground beef
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp paprika
- 24 oz marinara sauce
- 2 Tbsp cilantro or parsley finely chopped
Pasta Stuffing-
- 15 oz ricotta cheese
- 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup fresh or frozen spinach finely chopped
- 1 egg
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
Cook Pasta Shells-
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add the jumbo pasta shells and cook until al dente, or according to package instructions.
- Once the pasta is cooked, drain the water and rinse it in cold water. (If you want to avoid them from sticking together, lay the shells out on a plate while they cool.)
Prepare Meat Sauce-
- Meanwhile, add ground beef and diced onions to a large skillet and cook on medium high heat for about 4-5 minutes, or until beef is browned.
- Break apart the ground beef as it cooks and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and paprika.
- Once the meat is browned, add the minced garlic and sauté for about a minute, until fragrant.
- Add the marinara sauce and chopped cilantro to the meat and bring it to a simmer. Remove from heat. Set aside.
Assemble Pasta Shells-
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a bowl, add ricotta cheese, shredded mozzarella, parmesan cheese, chopped spinach, egg, salt and pepper. Mix until fully combined.
- Transfer the creamy filling into a piping bag. (You can also just use a spoon to stuff the shell, but to make it cleaner and faster use a piping bag.)
- In a 7.5x6 casserole dish, add half of the marinara sauce to the bottom of the dish, spreading evenly.
- Stuff the shells with the ricotta filling by piping (or spooning) about 2-3 Tbsp of the mixture.
- Add the stuffed shells to the dish, over the meat sauce, arranging flatly.
- Once all the shells are stuffed and added to the dish, spread the remaining pasta meat sauce over the stuffed shells. Top with shredded cheese and cover the dish with foil.
- Bake at 350°F covered in foil for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, until bubbly and crispy along the edges.
- Remove from oven and garnish with additional chopped greens and serve immediately.