Cheesy & Beefy Stuffed Shells

These Stuffed Pasta Shells with Meat are pretty much like little pockets of deconstructed lasagna deliciousness – what could possibly be wrong with that? They don’t require near as much prep time a a lasagna however, and they are every bit as good. Make sure you use a good quality tomato sauce (homemade if possible), it makes all the difference in how these turn out. I’m a huge fan of Mutti products, their tomato sauces and purees are the best, in my opinion. There’s a link a little further down if you want to check out some other things they make.

I have made these a thousand times (ok, almost) and each time to some seriously rave reviews. If this is your kind of food (and I think it should be), I highly encourage you to try this recipe. It’s easy and they truly are ridiculously delicious. Scroll down and watch the video of me making them and you can see for yourself how simple this recipe is to make.

These Stuffed Shells take about 30 minutes to prep and stuff, and they bake in the oven for another 1/2 more, so you can have this dinner ready to serve up in about an hour. The recipe makes enough for 4 – 6 people and you might have some filling left over. It freezes super well, or toss it with some pasta the next day for a delicious lunch.

Ingredients:

jumbo pasta shells - 1/2 pound (250 g)

olive oil - 2 tbsp

onion - 1 small, finely chopped

salt and pepper - use very generously

garlic cloves - 3, minced

ground beef - 1 pound (500 g)

italian herbs - 2 tbsp

spaghetti sauce - 2 cups

ricotta - 2 cups (or cottage cheese)

mozzarella - 1 cup, shredded (plus more for topping)

parmesan cheese - 1/2 cup, grated (plus more for topping)

egg - 1 large, beaten