Beef and Ricotta Stuffed Shells
These Beef and Ricotta Stuffed Shells are a one-pan baked pasta that can be prepped ahead and easier to make than a lasagna. It’s the perfect comfort food recipe the whole family is guaranteed to love and made in an hour.
Pasta is a standby in our home, but if it’s a baked pasta, that’s extra special. Melty, cheesy and warm, Beef and Ricotta Stuffed Shells are a comfort food favorite that can be whipped up easily, and feeds a hungry crowd. Make it for a cozy weekend meal or to enjoy throughout the week, the leftovers are even better.
With a hearty homemade meat sauce and a creamy ricotta filling, jumbo shells are topped with even more cheese, then baked to golden, melty perfection. It really doesn’t get much better than these Stuffed Shells with Meat and Ricotta Cheese.
If you’re a one-pot pasta fan like us, give these recipes a try, too. This Crockpot Million Dollar Pasta is easy and delicious, and make this One Pan Lemon Pasta for a simple and satisfying dinner.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Make Ahead Meal: Prep this recipe ahead of time, assemble, and bake off whenever you’re ready to serve. It’s great to enjoy throughout the week.
- Family Favorite: With familiar flavors and a fun process, the whole family can help make these.
- Feeds a Crowd: A big, cheesy, baked pasta is enough to feed your whole crew, entertain with, or bring to a potluck.
- Great Leftovers: These are the type of leftovers we absolutely love. They reheat beautifully and taste just as good the next day.
Beef and Ricotta Stuffed Shells Video Tutorial
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
- Ground Beef: Use whatever you have, but we like lean here. Ground turkey or chicken works great, too.
- Salt and Pepper: It’s important to season as you go.
- Onion and Garlic: Must-have aromatics to flavor the homemade sauce.
- Tomato Sauce, Tomato Paste and Diced Tomatoes: I like to always keep several cans of these in the pantry at all times. Essential for any homemade tomato sauce.
- Water: Just a little goes a long way.
- Italian Seasoning: Use your favorite store-bought variety, or make your own blend with dried spices.
For The Cheese Filling:
- Ricotta Cheese: Use full-fat for a smooth, creamy filling.
- Egg: The binder.
- Mozzarella Cheese: Part-skim works best here. It’s melty, and cheesy and exactly what you want in a pasta bake.
- Parmesan: Nutty and savory, be generous with this and use freshly grated.
- Garlic Powder: A little extra seasoning for the filling.
- Basil or Parsley: Either works, but fresh is best for the filling and garnish.
To Assemble:
- Pasta Shells: The number you’ll use may vary, just make sure you’re using jumbo shells, or conchiglioni. And cook them al dente before stuffing, so you don’t end up with mushy stuffed shells once they’re baked!
How To Make Beef and Ricotta Stuffed Shells
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook jumbo shells until just al dente. Drain and let cool slightly.
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef with a little salt and pepper until browned and caramelized.
3. Add chopped onion and cook 3–4 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic for 1 minute.
4. Add tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes to deepen the flavor.
5. Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes with juices, water, Italian seasoning, and optional red pepper. Simmer 10–15 minutes, then taste and adjust seasoning.
6. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta, egg, 1 cups mozzarella, 1/3 cup Parmesan, garlic powder, herbs if using, plus a pinch of salt and pepper.
7. Spread a thin layer of the meat sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.
8. Fill each cooked shell generously with the ricotta mixture and arrange the shells in the dish.
9. Top each shell with a spoonful of the meat sauce over the ricotta mixture.
10. Spoon the remaining red sauce over the top of all of the stuffed shells.
11. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan evenly over the top.
12. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350°F for 25 minutes.
13. Remove foil and bake 10–15 minutes longer, or until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and lightly golden. Optional: broil 1–2 minutes for more browning.
14. Rest 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh basil or parsley if desired.
Expert Tips
- Stuffing The Shells: Using a tablespoon to simply add filling to your shells works perfectly fine. Alternatively, you can make your own pastry bag by filling a resealable zip top bag with the filling, and snipping the corner off before piping the mixture into each shell. Have fun and get the whole family involved!
- Undercook The Pasta: It’s key to cook the shells al dente or just shy of, before stuffing them. They’ll finish cooking when you bake them, and you don’t want overcooked or mushy pasta.
- Make Extra Shells: We suggest cooking the whole package of shells even if you aren’t planning on using all of them, just in case a few break while stuffing.
- Try Other Proteins: Ground beef is a staple in our home, but you could use also ground turkey or chicken, Italian sausage, or a combination.
Storage
If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. It’s the perfect dish to have on hand for dinner the following night.
To reheat, simply place them at 350°F and warm through until everything is hot and the cheese is melty, about 20 minutes.
This is a great make ahead recipe, too, so you can have dinner at a moment’s notice during the week. Prep the sauce, stuff the shells, and assemble everything, then cover, unbaked and freeze for a future meal. When you’re ready to serve, thaw in the fridge overnight, then bake per the instructions. You can even bake from frozen, just be sure to include extra cook time.
FAQs
Be sure to use low moisture mozzarella cheese and whole milk ricotta. You can even drain the ricotta by letting it sit in a fine mesh sieve for 10 minutes before using.
Full-fat ricotta will give you a thicker and creamier, richer filling. But you could certainly use part-skim if you want a lighter meal.
Make sure the shells are al dente and slightly undercooked. This will help them hold their shape. And using a piping bag to add the filling can help with this too. Last tip: don’t overstuff them!
Yes, you should cook the ground beef before stuffing the shells. The sauce should be fully cooked and ready to use before you stuff the pasta and assemble the dish. You can always make the sauce ahead of time though, and refrigerate it (or freeze it!) until you’re ready to use.
More Delicious Pasta Recipes
Beef and Ricotta Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- 1 lb ground beef
- Salt & black pepper to taste
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 3 –4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 16 oz can tomato sauce
- 1 6 oz can tomato paste
- 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 –3 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- Optional: pinch crushed red pepper flakes
Cheese Filling
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
- 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese divided
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or parsley optional
- Pinch salt & pepper
Assembly
- 20 –24 jumbo pasta shells
- Fresh basil or parsley for garnish optional
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook jumbo shells until just al dente. Drain and let cool slightly.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef with a little salt and pepper until browned and caramelized.
- Add chopped onion and cook 3–4 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic for 1 minute.
- Add tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes to deepen the flavor.
- Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes with juices, water, Italian seasoning, and optional red pepper. Simmer 10–15 minutes, then taste and adjust seasoning.
- In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta, egg, 1 cups mozzarella, 1/3 cup Parmesan, garlic powder, herbs if using, plus a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Spread a thin layer of the meat sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.
- Fill each cooked shell generously with the ricotta mixture and arrange the shells in the dish.
- Top each shell with a spoonful of the meat sauce over the ricotta mixture.
- Spoon the remaining red sauce over the top of all of the stuffed shells.
- Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan evenly over the top.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350°F for 25 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake 10–15 minutes longer, or until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and lightly golden. Optional: broil 1–2 minutes for more browning.
- Rest 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh basil or parsley if desired.
