Description
Stuffed Shells with Ground Beef – A comforting Italian-inspired dish featuring jumbo pasta shells filled with creamy ricotta-spinach stuffing and topped with savory ground beef marinara sauce. Perfect for family dinners or meal prep.
Ingredients
- Jumbo pasta shells
- Olive oil
- Onion, chopped
- Kosher salt, divided
- Garlic cloves, chopped
- Lean ground beef
- Marinara sauce
- Part-skim ricotta cheese
- Egg
- Frozen spinach (thawed and well-squeezed)
- Part-skim shredded Italian cheese blend (or shredded mozzarella), divided
- Parmesan cheese, divided
- Chopped fresh parsley (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat to 350°F (175°C).
- Cook Pasta: Boil shells in salted water, undercooking slightly. Rinse with cold water; set aside.
- Sauté Aromatics: Cook onion in olive oil with ¼ tsp salt until translucent. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Cook Beef: Add ground beef and ¼ tsp salt; cook until browned. Stir in marinara and remove from heat.
- Prepare Filling: Combine ricotta, egg, spinach, 1 cup Italian cheese blend, ¼ cup Parmesan, and remaining salt in a bowl.
- Fill Shells: Spoon ricotta mixture into each pasta shell.
- Assemble Dish: Layer half the beef marinara in a baking dish, arrange filled shells, cover with remaining sauce, and sprinkle remaining cheeses.
- Bake: Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 5 minutes.
- Serve: Garnish with parsley and serve hot.
Notes
- Substitute ground beef with turkey, chicken, or sausage for variety.
- Make ahead by assembling and refrigerating for up to 24 hours or freezing for up to 3 months.
- For a vegetarian version, skip the meat and add sautéed vegetables to the filling.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
