Baked Stuffed Shells

These deliciously cheesy Baked Stuffed Shells are filled to the brim with three types of cheese, then topped with a meat sauce and more mozzarella. Baked to golden brown perfection, these stuffed shells never get old! You’ll want to add these stuffed pasta shells to your regular meal rotation!

On busy weeknights when I need an easy recipe but still want a hearty meal, I turn to pasta dishes. While these jumbo shells may look a bit complicated, they are actually pretty easy to make! And they come together in less than an hour. Who can say “no” to something so deliciously cheesy? Your whole family will love them too.

Don’t want pasta shells stuffed with ricotta? Make my Easy Stuffed Shells with Cottage Cheese.
My husband wants me to make those from now on because he loves the flavor better!

Tips for Perfect Pasta

• When boiling the shells, undercook your pasta by 1-2 minutes. This makes them easier to stuff, and they will continue to cook when baking.
• Save any broken shells in the package to use in other dishes. You’ll want complete shells for this recipe to keep all that cheesy stuffing inside!
• Whole wheat pasta is a healthy choice if you’re looking for a bit more fiber in your diet.

Ingredients for Baked Stuffed Shells

Gather the ingredients you’ll need to make this tasty dinner. You will need the following things:

• 20 jumbo pasta shells (or about 6 ounces)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ lb. ground beef
• 1 24-ounce jar of pasta sauce
• 1 15-ounce container of ricotta cheese
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella divided
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley

What kind of pasta sauce should I use?

Use your favorite marinara sauce, or if you don’t have one, look for a high-quality jarred marinara sauce like Newman’s Own or Classico.
It’s a little more expensive, but we absolutely love the fresh homemade taste of Rao’s Homemade Marinara Sauce.
Marinara sauce is the perfect sauce to keep on hand in your pantry for use in all those last-minute dinners. Or, if you’re up to it, you can even use our own homemade meat sauce that I use in my lasagna!

How to make this Stuffed Shells recipe

Pasta: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 9×13 casserole dish by spraying it with cooking spray. While the oven is heating up, cook the shells in a large pot of salted water according to the package directions for al dente pasta, or reduce the total boiling time by 1-2 minutes (see the note above). Drain the shells and set them to the side.

Meat Sauce: Pour the olive oil into a skillet and warm it over medium heat. Sautée the garlic and onion until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the ground beef to the skillet and cook until browned, then pour the pasta sauce over the meat and simmer on low until you are ready to use it.

Filling: In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg. Add the ricotta cheese, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, and parsley. Mix well.

Stuff and Bake: Place ⅓ of the meat sauce in the bottom of a baking dish and spread evenly. Fill each shell with the filling using a spoon or by transferring the ricotta mixture to a piping bag and filling it that way. Place each shell into the baking dish, then pour the remaining sauce over the filled shells.

Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then remove the tin foil and sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese over the shells. Return the dish to the oven without the tin foil to bake for another 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted.

How to store leftover Baked Stuffed Shells

If you have any of this cheesy goodness left, you can refrigerate them and serve them for up to four days, though they really taste best the next day. Cover the shells in the pan tightly with tin foil before refrigerating, or transfer them to an airtight container. 

Can these Baked Shells be made ahead of time?

Great news! You can make this dish in the morning for tonight’s dinner! Make this as directed up to 8 hours in advance, then cover tightly with foil and refrigerate until you are ready to bake them. If you make them much earlier than that, the shells may be too soggy to turn out properly.

Flavor Variations

There are all sorts of things you could add to this classic stuffed shell recipe:

• Swap your protein, or leave it out entirely! Try ground turkey or Italian sausage in place of the beef, or just stick with cheese and marinara sauce. It’d be a great meatless dinner if you omit the ground beef and just top them with a plain pasta sauce.
• Add cooked spinach to your ricotta filling before filling your pasta shells.
• Try different cheeses, such as cottage cheese, or swap out full-fat cheese for part-skim versions.
• Make it with Alfredo or pesto sauce instead of the meat-based tomato sauce.

What can I substitute the ricotta cheese with?

Add a bit more protein to your meal and lower the calories by substituting the ricotta cheese with a low-fat cottage cheese!
Use a 1:1 ratio, so use 15 ounces of cottage cheese instead of the 15 ounces of ricotta cheese called for in the recipe below.
Don’t like the texture of cottage cheese? Put it into the blender or food processor to make it smooth before combining it with the other ingredients.

What should I serve Baked Stuffed Shells with?

This tasty pasta dish pairs well with a simple green salad and some crusty bread. Try Grandma’s Homemade Italian Bread recipe! The bread and pasta go SO well together.

Other Pasta Recipes you’ll love

Ooh, we love pasta around these parts! You’ll find tons of delicious pasta recipes here. For now, try some of these favorites:

• Spinach Lasagna Roll-Ups
• Chicken Mozzarella Pasta
• Lasagna Pasta Skewers
• Pizza Stuffed Shells
• Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta

These easy stuffed pasta shells are a hearty dinner that the whole family will love. This shells recipe is one you’ll come back to again and again.

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