Go Back
–+ servings

Stuffed Italian Shells

BeefOven
Time :1 hour 20 minutes
Yield :8 servings
Print
Share :
Add as Preferred Source on Google

The Scoop

A story about how these pasta shells basically turned lasagna into finger-sized real estate.
Stuffed Italian Shells are the cozy, cheesy answer to the eternal question: What if pasta could be its own little casserole?
Jumbo shells are packed with creamy cottage cheese, mozzarella, and Parmesan, tucked into hearty marinara and ground beef, then baked until bubbling and golden. They’re comforting, customizable, and just complicated enough to make dinner feel like an event without requiring an Italian grandmother to supervise.
Hack it:
Use ricotta for a more traditional filling, or blend the cottage cheese first if you want the creaminess of ricotta without buying another container.
Skip the ground chuck and bulk up the marinara with sautéed mushrooms, spinach, zucchini, or finely chopped roasted vegetables.
Add Italian seasoning, fresh basil, chopped spinach, or a pinch of red pepper flakes to the cheese mixture for an easy flavor upgrade.
Provolone, fontina, or an Italian cheese blend can replace some of the mozzarella. This is very much a “clean out the cheese drawer” situation.
Stir a splash of red wine, a spoonful of pesto, or a little Calabrian chili paste into the marinara for a completely different flavor without changing the recipe.
Leftovers:
Stuffed Shell Skillet: Chop the leftover shells and warm them in a skillet with extra marinara and mozzarella until bubbling.
Italian Pasta Bake: Cut the shells into pieces, toss with any extra sauce and vegetables, top with cheese, and bake until golden.
Cheesy Shell Toast: Chop leftover shells and spoon them over toasted garlic bread. Add mozzarella and broil until bubbling.
Lasagna Soup: Chop the shells into bite-sized pieces and simmer them in marinara thinned with broth. Finish with Parmesan and a dollop of ricotta.

Ingredients

  • 20 jumbo pasta shells
  • 1 pound ground chuck
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 (26-ounce) jar marinara sauce
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 2 cups small curd cottage cheese
  • 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
  • 3/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated, divided
  • fresh basil leaves, to taste, chopped, for garnish

Directions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
  • In a large pot of salted, boiling water, cook the pasta shells to al dente according to the package directions.
  • Drain the pasta shells and place them upside down on a baking sheet to dry.
  • In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground chuck, while crumbling, until it is no longer pink. Drain the excess fat.
  • Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the oil and the onion to the meat, and cook until the onion is translucent, about 30 seconds.
  • Add the garlic to the meat mixture and cook until it is fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  • Reduce the heat to low, add the marinara sauce to the meat mixture, and simmer, uncovered, while stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.
  • In a medium bowl, mix the egg, the cottage cheese, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, and 1/2 cup of the parmesan cheese together.
  • Pour 3/4 of the meat sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
  • Stuff the cooked shells with 1 rounded tablespoon of the cheese mixture and arrange them on top of the meat sauce, open-side up.
  • Spoon the remaining meat sauce in between the shells but not directly on top of them.
  • Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
  • Carefully discard the foil, sprinkle the shells with the remaining mozzarella cheese and the remaining parmesan cheese, and bake until the cheese has melted, about 5-7 minutes.
  • Garnish the shells with the basil and serve.
×