Stuffed Shells with Ground Beef

A hearty and comforting stuffed shells recipe featuring ground beef, ricotta, mozzarella, and marinara sauce, perfect for family dinners and meal prep.

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Total Time 50

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Calories: 500

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

Pasta and Filling

12 pieces large pasta shells (conchiglioni) Cook until al dente.
1 lb ground beef Can be substituted with sausage or ground turkey.
1 cup ricotta cheese Can substitute with cottage cheese.
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded Additional cheese can be used for topping.
0.5 cup parmesan cheese, grated
0.5 cup chopped spinach or roasted peppers Optional for flavor enhancement.
1 small onion, chopped Sauté with ground beef.
2 cloves garlic, minced Add during cooking of beef.

Sauce and Topping

2 cups marinara sauce Can use homemade sauce.
0.5 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded For topping before baking.

Method

Preparation

Boil the pasta shells until al dente, and then set aside.
In a skillet, sauté ground beef, onion, and garlic until browned. Drain any excess grease.
Let the meat mixture cool slightly before mixing in ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, and spinach or roasted peppers.

Assembly

Spread a layer of marinara sauce on the bottom of a baking dish.
Spoon the meat and cheese mixture into each pasta shell and place them in the dish.
Pour additional marinara sauce over the stuffed shells and sprinkle with extra mozzarella cheese.

Baking

Cover the baking dish with foil and bake at 375°F for about 30 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese is golden and bubbly.

Notes

For a lighter option, substitute ground turkey for ground beef. You can prepare these shells a day in advance and refrigerate until ready to bake. Leftover sauce can be drizzled on before serving for extra flavor.