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Stuffed shells with ground beef meat sauce in a white baking dish with a serving spoon.

Stuffed Shells with Ground Beef

Author: Stephanie Kay

These Italian-style stuffed shells with ground beef are a hearty meal that feeds a crowd. Serve them on their own, with garlic, bread, or a side salad for a delicious family meal.

  • Author: Stephanie Kay
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: American
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Ingredients

For the Meat Sauce:

For the Stuffed Shells:

Instructions

  1. In a large pot on medium-high heat, warm the olive oil, add the ground beef, and cook for 4-5 minutes, breaking it up, until browned. Add the diced onion, celery, and carrot, and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
  2. Add the garlic, oregano, basil, parsley, red pepper flakes, and salt, and cook for an additional minute until fragrant. Pour in the tomatoes, stir until well combined, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning as needed.
  3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the jumbo pasta shells, and cook as per package directions until al dente. Once cooked, strain, and set aside.
  4. In a large skillet or pan on medium heat, warm a small drizzle of olive oil, then add chopped spinach, and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring frequently, until the spinach has wilted.
  5. In a medium bowl, add the ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, sautéed spinach, egg, salt, and pepper, and stir until well combined.
  6. Preheat the oven to 400°F, grab a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, and ladle 2/3 of the meat sauce into the baking dish, spreading it out to ensure the bottom of the dish is well covered.
  7. Once the pasta shells are cooked and cool enough to handle, stuff each shell with a spoonful of the spinach ricotta mixture and then place it in the baking dish, open side up. Continue working one at a time until all of the pasta shells are stuffed, all of the cheese filling is used, and the baking dish is full of shells.
  8. Pour the remaining meat sauce on top of the stuffed shells in the baking dish, then sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese on top.
  9. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and transfer it to the oven to bake for 15 minutes, then remove the aluminum foil and bake for a final 5-10 minutes until the cheese is fully melted and golden brown on top.
  10. Serve immediately with a sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan cheese, fresh basil, and/or fresh parsley. Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Notes

To Use Dried Herbs: Use triple the amount of fresh herbs or 1 tablespoon of fresh oregano, fresh basil, and fresh parsley.

To Use Frozen Spinach: Thaw 1 cup of frozen spinach, and then press all of the water out of it. Skip step #4 and add the spinach to the recipe as per instructed in step #5.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://kaynutrition.com/stuffed-shells-with-ground-beef/