While always cozy and delicious, baked pasta recipes often get reserved for the weekend because they usually call for longer cook times and require a bit more prep time than the average weeknight dinner. However, you’ll find that our recipe for stuffed shells with meat and ricotta is not one of those dishes.
Unlike other cheesy baked pasta recipes, the prep for these stuffed shells with meat sauce is split over two days: On day one, you cook the pasta, prepare the filling and assemble the casserole before chilling it overnight in the refrigerator; on day two, you simply preheat the oven, pop in the dish and devour the meat-stuffed shells once they’re hot, golden and bubbly. It’s the perfect comforting pasta recipe that will brighten up even the Monday-est of Mondays.
Ingredients for Stuffed Shells with Meat
- Jumbo pasta shells: You’ll want to grab a box of the jumbo shells for this recipe, since they’re perfect for filling with all the cheesy, meaty goodness. Save your medium shells for this stovetop beef and shells recipe.
- Ground beef: This dish is one of many recipes that use 1 pound ground beef. The beefy boost makes it taste like your mom’s best lasagna recipe, while also making the dish more filling than stuffed pasta recipes without meat, like this spinach stuffed shells recipe.
- Ricotta: Ricotta is the perfect filling for pasta shells. This type of cheese doesn’t melt fully when heated, so it gives the filling some body and prevents the filling from oozing out of the shells as they bake in the oven.
- Italian cheese blend: In comparison to ricotta, a combination of shredded Italian cheese and grated Parmesan cheese melts like a dream and lends these stuffed shells with meat sauce plenty of cheesy flavor. We opted for packaged shredded cheese, but you could also grate your own cheese if you prefer.
- Egg: The egg acts as a binding ingredient in the filling. Without the egg, the meat and cheese filling will be more prone to leaking out of the shells as they bake.
- Pesto: This herbaceous green sauce is our secret ingredient that infuses the filling without having to resort to a long list of fresh or dried herbs and spices. You can choose store-bought pesto or make homemade pesto if you have the time and ingredients.
- Spaghetti sauce: This stuffed shells with meat and ricotta recipe keeps things simple, opting for your favorite jarred pasta sauce rather than making homemade pasta sauce.
- Onion: The aromatic adds flavor and depth to this easy stuffed shells with meat recipe.
Directions
Step 1: Boil the pasta
Cook the pasta shells according to the package directions for al dente. Drain and rinse in cold water to halt the cooking process.
Editor’s Tip: Take care to not overcook the shells at this stage. You want the shells to still have a slight chew to them, as this will make filling them much easier and will ensure they do not become mushy after baking.
Step 2: Cook the beef and onions
In a large skillet, cook the ground beef and onion over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink. Drain.
Step 3: Make the filling
In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, 1-1/2 cups Italian cheese blend, the Parmesan, the pesto, the egg and half the beef mixture.
Step 4: Stuff and assemble
To assemble, spread 3/4 cup pasta sauce into a greased 13×9-inch baking dish. Spoon the meat and cheese mixture into the cooked shells. Arrange the meat-stuffed shells in the baking dish. Combine the remaining beef mixture and spaghetti sauce, and pour over the shells. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
Step 5: Chill
Cover the pan tightly and refrigerate overnight.
Editor’s Tip: Letting the stuffed shells rest overnight lets the flavors in the filling and sauce marry together for a more deeply flavored recipe.
Step 6: Bake
Remove the baking dish from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 350°F, then cover and bake the meat-stuffed shells for 40 minutes. Uncover the pan and continue to bake until the cheese is melted, 5 to 10 minutes longer.
Stuffed Shells with Meat Variations
- Try other meats: For a leaner take, you can prepare stuffed shells with meat sauce using ground turkey or ground chicken instead. For extra flavor, you could opt to use ground Italian sausage or a 50/50 blend of beef and pork sausage.
- Make it vegetarian: For a vegetarian version, omit the beef and prepare as directed. Alternatively, check out this stuffed vegetarian shells recipe.
- Infuse flavor with more herbs and spices: Boost the flavor of the filling and sauce further by adding other fresh or dried herbs and spices. Try fresh basil, oregano, parsley or thyme. Dried Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, crushed red pepper flakes or garlic powder would also add depth.
- Toss in some veggies: For added nutrition and flavor, you could add chopped spinach, mushrooms, zucchini or red bell peppers to the recipe. Saute 1 to 2 cups until tender, then either stir the veggie into the filling or add it to the sauce with the beef.
- Prepare it gluten-free: Swap the traditional shell pasta with your favorite brand of gluten-free shells.
- Swap out the dairy: To make stuffed shells with meat and no dairy, consult this recipe for vegan stuffed shells, but simply swap the ground beef for the tofu.
How to Store Stuffed Shells with Meat
Leftover stuffed shells with meat and ricotta may be refrigerated in an airtight food storage container for four to five days. To reheat, microwave gently in a covered container until heated through. If the pasta appears dry, add a splash of water to the container before warming to rehydrate the pasta. Alternatively, you can also reheat using a covered dish in a 350° oven until heated through. Pro tip: The rules for reheating lasagna also apply to stuffed shells.
Can you make stuffed shells with meat ahead of time?
Yes, you can make meat-stuffed shells ahead of time. Prepare the shells as directed, following the recipe through placing the baking dish in the refrigerator. You can keep the stuffed noodles in the fridge for up to three days. Bake as directed when you’re ready to cook.
How to Freeze Stuffed Shells with Meat
Unbaked stuffed shells may be stored in the freezer for up to three months. When ready to enjoy, you may either allow them to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then bake as directed, or you can bake them directly from frozen. If baking meat-stuffed shells from frozen, the cooking time will need to be extended to ensure they are heated through all the way.
Stuffed Shells with Meat Tips
Do you need to refrigerate the stuffed shells before baking?
No, this stuffed shells with meat and ricotta dish does not have to be an overnight recipe. While allowing the shells to rest overnight in the refrigerator before baking helps the flavors marry and intensify, many readers have reported great results baking these easy stuffed shells with meat sauce without the overnight chill.
What can you serve with stuffed shells with meat?
Enjoy these meat-stuffed shells with a fresh green garden salad, sauteed spinach or this festive zucchini panzanella salad. As with all our favorite Italian pasta recipes, a batch of homemade garlic bread or a chewy loaf of focaccia bread is always a family favorite.
