Beef and Ricotta Stuffed Shells
These Beef and Ricotta Stuffed Shells are the perfect meal prep recipe that's easy to make in an hour for a comforting weeknight dinner.
Servings 6 servings
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.
Video
Notes
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.