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4.8 from 15 votes

Italian Stuffed Shells (With Beef!)

Try these delicious Italian stuffed shells with ground beef! Stuffed pasta shells are an easy and cozy meal that the whole family will enjoy, and will bring everyone round the dinner table.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
1 hr 5 mins
Servings: 20 Pieces
Calories: 154 kcal
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

For The Shells
  • 20 pieces jumbo shell pasta about half of a 12 ounce box
  • salt
  • 24 ounces marinara can use a 24-28 ounce jar
For The Meat
  • ½ teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic 
  • 1 pound ground beef I used 80/20
  • ½ teaspoon salt
For The Cheese Filling And Topping
  • 2 large eggs
  • 15 ounces ricotta cheese part skim
  • ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon basil
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 2 cups mozzarella cheese

Instructions

For The Shells
    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Layer about a cup of the marinara sauce over the bottom of a 9x13 pan evenly.
  2. Place a large pot of water on the stovetop. Add salt generously to the water and turn the stove to high to bring the pot of water to a boil. Place shells in the water and cook for about 8 - 9 minutes, cooking them just under al dente. They should be a little flexible but not floppy. Drain the shells in a colander and set to the side to cool. See notes for more info.
For The Meat
  1. In a large skillet add the olive oil over medium high heat. Add minced garlic to the oil and cook for a minute or two until fragrant.
  2. Place the ground beef in the skillet. Break up the ground beef with a wooden spatula and sprinkle with salt. Stir the meat as needed, cooking it until it is no longer pink. Drain any excess grease and set to the side.
For The Cheese Filling And Topping The Layers
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Crack the eggs into a large bowl and beat with a fork until the yolk cracks. Add ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, oregano, basil, onion powder, salt and pepper. Mix the cheese mixture well until thoroughly combined.
  3. Layer the cooked shells with the cheese mixture and the ground beef evenly between the shells. Place the shells in the pan in rows over the marinara sauce.
  4. Spread the rest of the marinara sauce in dollops on top of each of the stuffed shells with a spoon evenly. Top generously with cheese then cover with aluminum foil.
  5. Bake the entire pan for 20-25 minutes or until hot and the cheese is gooey. Then serve and enjoy!

Notes

  • I have calculated the estimated nutrition based per shell to make things a little easier. If you're trying to figure out how many shells per person though, I find that most adults will eat between 3-5 shells depending on what else you serve this with. Usually this pan will serve 5-6 people when the shells are the main dish.
  • Use a large pot of water, bigger than you might normally use for pasta for this stuffed shell recipe. This will help keep the shell pasta from sticking to each other and breaking. I boil the shells for 8-9 minutes, usually a little less than if you were making the shells according to the package. This helps to keep the shell pasta in one piece, and they will soak up some of the moisture from the pasta sauce when baking.
  • I often will mix together the ground beef and the ricotta cheese mixture. This helps ensure every bite of the filling has plenty of beef and cheese goodness.

Nutrition Information

Calories 154kcal (8%) Carbohydrates 4g (1%) Protein 10g (20%) Fat 11g (17%) Saturated Fat 5g (25%) Polyunsaturated Fat 0.4g Monounsaturated Fat 4g Trans Fat 0.3g Cholesterol 55mg (18%) Sodium 408mg (17%) Potassium 207mg (6%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 1g (2%) Vitamin A 357IU (7%) Vitamin C 2mg (2%) Calcium 130mg (13%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 20Pieces

Amount Per Serving

Calories 154

% Daily Value*

Calories 154kcal 8%
Carbohydrates 4g 1%
Protein 10g 20%
Fat 11g 17%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.4g 2%
Monounsaturated Fat 4g 20%
Trans Fat 0.3g 15%
Cholesterol 55mg 18%
Sodium 408mg 17%
Potassium 207mg 4%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 1g 2%
Vitamin A 357IU 7%
Vitamin C 2mg 2%
Calcium 130mg 13%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.