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Baked Stuffed Shells

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If you love pasta, this elegant and impressive-looking dish will be one of your favorites! and So EASY stuffed shells recipe!

Baked Stuffed Shells

Stuffed with creamy ricotta and parmesan filling, baked with tomato-based meat sauce, and topped with melted mozzarella, this is a rich and filling entree!

Your family will love it!

Ingredients for Baked Stuffed Shells

  • Jumbo pasta shells
  • Olive oil
  • Onion
  • Garlic
  • Ground beef
  • Italian seasoning
  • Red pepper flakes
  • Cinnamon
  • Salt and pepper
  • Marinara sauce
  • Full-fat ricotta cheese
  • Shredded mozzarella cheese
  • Grated Parmesan cheese
  • Egg
  • Parsley flakes
  • Dried basil

How to Make Baked Stuffed Shells Recipe

Ingredients for Baked Stuffed Shells

    1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.

    2. Cook the shells in a large pot of boiling water until al dente, according to package instructions.

    3. Make the meat sauce: heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and saute the onion and garlic for 3 minutes or until the onion is translucent.

    4. Add the ground beef and cook until there is no pink left on the meat.

    5. Season with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and cinnamon, and mix in the marinara sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.

    6. Make the filling: in a large bowl, mix the ricotta, Parmesan, egg, 1 cup of shredded mozzarella, parsley flakes, and dried basil.

    7. Spread one cup of meat sauce into the bottom of the baking dish. Set aside.

    8. Fill the shells: divide the ricotta cheese filling between the 20 shells and place them on top of the meat sauce.

    9. Cover the shells with the remaining meat sauce and bake for 30 minutes.

    10. 10 minutes before the baking time is over, remove the dish from the oven, sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese on top and bake until melted and gooey.

Can I Make Stuffed Shells Ahead of Time?

Yes, you can assemble the dish, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking. You can also freeze the unbaked dish for up to 3 months before baking.

Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 4 days stored in an airtight container.

SAVE THIS BAKED STUFFED SHELLS RECIPE TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD!

What to Serve with Stuffed Shells?

This dish can be served alongside a side salad or steamed veggies for a complete meal.

A slice of garlic bread is also a must!

How to Make Baked Stuffed Shells Recipe

If you love pasta, this elegant and impressive-looking dish will be one of your favorites!

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Baked Stuffed Shells

Baked Stuffed Shells

Yield: 5
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Stuffed with creamy ricotta and parmesan filling, baked with tomato-based meat sauce, and topped with melted mozzarella, this is a rich and filling entree!

Ingredients

  • 20 jumbo pasta shells
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup onion, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 lb lean ground beef
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • ½ tsp red pepper flakes
  • ⅛ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp ground black pepper

For the filling:

  • 15 oz full-fat ricotta cheese
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tbsp parsley flakes
  • ½ tsp dried basil

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
  2. Cook the shells in a large pot of boiling water until al dente, according to package instructions.
  3. Make the meat sauce: heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and saute the onion and garlic for 3 minutes or until the onion is translucent.
  4. Add the ground beef and cook until there is no pink left on the meat.
  5. Season with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and cinnamon, and mix in the marinara sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.
  6. Make the filling: in a large bowl, mix the ricotta, Parmesan, egg, 1 cup of shredded mozzarella, parsley flakes, and dried basil.
  7. Spread one cup of meat sauce into the bottom of the baking dish. Set aside.
  8. Fill the shells: divide the ricotta cheese filling between the 20 shells and place them on top of the meat sauce.
  9. Cover the shells with the remaining meat sauce and bake for 30 minutes.
  10. 10 minutes before the baking time is over, remove the dish from the oven, sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese on top and bake until melted and gooey.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 5 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 615Total Fat: 36gSaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 53g

Sos Recipes is not staffed by nutritionists or dietitians, and any provided nutritional information is an approximation. If calorie count and nutritional value are crucial to you, we suggest inputting the ingredients into your preferred online nutritional calculator. The actual calorie and nutritional content may differ based on the brands used.

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