Here’s a rich, cheesy, and satisfying Stuffed Shells with Ground Beef recipe—perfect comfort food and great for family dinners:
🍝 Stuffed Shells with Ground Beef
🧾 Ingredients
For the pasta:
- 20–25 jumbo pasta shells
For the filling:
- 500g ground beef
- 1 cup ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- ½ cup grated Parmesan
- 1 egg
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- Salt & pepper
For the sauce:
- 2 cups marinara sauce (store-bought or homemade)
👩🍳 Instructions
1. Cook the pasta
- Boil jumbo shells according to package instructions.
- Drain and let cool so they’re easy to handle.
2. Cook the beef
- In a pan, cook ground beef until browned.
- Add garlic, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- Drain excess fat and let cool slightly.
3. Make the filling
- In a bowl, mix:
- Cooked beef
- Ricotta
- Mozzarella
- Parmesan
- Egg
- Stir until well combined.
4. Stuff the shells
- Fill each shell with the beef-cheese mixture.
5. Assemble
- Spread a layer of marinara sauce in a baking dish.
- Place stuffed shells on top.
- Spoon more sauce over them.
- Sprinkle extra mozzarella on top.
6. Bake
- Cover with foil and bake at 180°C (350°F) for 25 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes until bubbly and golden.
🍽️ Serve With
- Garlic bread 🥖
- Fresh salad 🥗
⭐ Tips
- Don’t overcook shells—they should be slightly firm (al dente).
- Add spinach to the filling for extra nutrition.
- Use cottage cheese if ricotta isn’t available—it works great.
If you want, I can give you:
- A creamy white sauce version
- A low-carb version (no pasta)
- Or a make-ahead freezer-friendly version ❄️