Description
Beef-Stuffed Shells with Creamy Ricotta Filling is an Italian-inspired comfort dish featuring jumbo pasta shells stuffed with savory ground beef and a rich, creamy ricotta filling, all baked in marinara sauce and topped with melted mozzarella.
Ingredients
20 jumbo pasta shells
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg
2 cups marinara sauce
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (for topping)
Fresh basil, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Cook the jumbo pasta shells according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until browned, then drain excess fat.
- Add the chopped onion and minced garlic to the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes, until softened.
- Stir in the Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Remove from heat and let it cool slightly.
- In a bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, shredded mozzarella, Parmesan, and egg until well combined.
- Stir the cooled beef mixture into the ricotta filling.
- Spread 1 cup of marinara sauce in the bottom of a baking dish.
- Fill each cooked shell with the beef and ricotta mixture and place in the baking dish.
- Pour the remaining marinara sauce over the stuffed shells and sprinkle with the additional shredded mozzarella.
- Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden.
- Garnish with fresh basil before serving.
Notes
- Vegetarian Option: Substitute the ground beef with sautéed mushrooms, spinach, or a combination of ricotta and sautéed vegetables for a meatless version.
- For added spice, you can stir in red pepper flakes or hot Italian sausage.
- For a low-carb option, swap the pasta shells with zucchini or eggplant slices.
- You can freeze this dish before baking by covering it tightly with foil. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking.
- If using store-bought marinara sauce, you can add extra herbs or garlic to enhance the flavor.
- To make the dish healthier, use lean ground beef or ground turkey, part-skim ricotta, and whole wheat pasta shells.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (2 shells)
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 650mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 85mg
