Print

Stuffed Shells with Meat

Delicious Recipe

4.9 from 26 reviews

Delicious and hearty Stuffed Shells with Meat recipe that combines flavorful meat sauce, creamy ricotta filling, and perfectly cooked pasta shells, all baked to cheesy perfection.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Meat Sauce:

  • 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 3/41 lb ground Italian sausage
  • 3/41 lb ground beef
  • 24 oz marinara sauce
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

For the Filling:

  • 32 oz ricotta cheese
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup cooked spinach, drained and chopped
  • 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp kosher salt

For the Pasta:

  • 1 box jumbo shells
  • 2 cups mozzarella cheese
  • Fresh parsley, for serving

Instructions

  1. Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
  2. Cook Pasta: Cook the jumbo shells according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
  3. Prepare Meat Sauce: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the diced bell peppers until soft. Add the ground sausage and beef, cooking until browned. Stir in the marinara sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Simmer for a few minutes, then set aside.
  4. Make the Filling: In a large bowl, mix together the ricotta, spinach, eggs, mozzarella, Parmesan, garlic powder, and salt until well combined.
  5. Stuff the Shells: Fill each cooked jumbo shell with the ricotta mixture, making sure they are well-packed.
  6. Assemble: Spread a few spoonfuls of the meat sauce in the bottom of a 13-inch baking dish. Arrange the stuffed shells in a single layer over the sauce. Pour the remaining sauce over the top.
  7. Bake: Cover and bake for 20 minutes at 350°F. Remove from the oven, sprinkle the remaining 2 cups of mozzarella cheese on top, and increase the oven temperature to 375°F. Bake for another 15 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted. For best results, broil for a few minutes at the end for a golden, bubbly top.
  8. Serve: Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.

Nutrition

Keywords: Stuffed Shells, Meat Sauce, Ricotta Filling, Pasta, Italian, Baked Dish