Tender pasta packed with ground beef and ricotta cheese makes these Ground Beef Stuffed Shells a hearty and comforting meal filled with fresh Italian flavor. We love making these for dinners (with leftovers) for our family or for holidays and parties.
What Makes Our Recipe Different
The filling in these beef stuffed shells is what its all about. The recipe is the same recipe that my Italian grandmother used for her homemade ravioli. While we adore that recipe, we’re not making homemade pasta dough very often so we’re using those same flavors tucked in a stuffed shell. Pretty genius if we do say so ourselves.
So we’re getting that same comfort food flavor in an easier to make meal that everyone is going to love. It’s perfect for a family of four with leftovers for another day, or for parties and holidays when you need to feed a crowd.
Ingredients You’ll Need
You can find the the complete list of ingredients and amount needed by scrolling down to the recipe card.
- Yellow Onion: Or white onion, but yellow is sweeter.
- Ground Beef: An 85% ground beef is perfect, you can go leaner but we like a little bit of fat in the beef for this recipe.
- Frozen Spinach: Defrosted, chopped and any excess water squeezed out. You can also use fresh but you’ll need to cook it down first.
- Garlic: Minced, fresh garlic.
- Garlic Powder & Dried Oregano: These plus salt and pepper, you can grab Italian seasoning if that’s easier.
- Ricotta: We like using full fat ricotta cheese for the most authentic flavor, but part-skim works, too.
- Egg: Large egg, beaten.
- Fresh Nutmeg: Just a pinch, this is the one ingredient that I urge you to try. It adds that depth of flavor that you can’t quite put your finger on.
- Parmesan Cheese: A good quality cheese. Preferably fresh, not shelf stable.
- Jumbo Pasta Shells: Cook these according to package directions.
- Marinara Sauce: Your favorite brand or you can make your own.
- Mozzarella Cheese: Again, we like full fat but low fat or part-skim will also work.
Are Stuffed Shells A Make Ahead Recipe?
Stuffed shells work so well as a make-ahead recipe! They’re perfect for big family gatherings or weeks when you just don’t have time to cook something new every evening. You can make these stuffed shells completely ahead of time, baked through, and then reheat them when you’re ready.
Another option is to stop and store your pasta before the baking step. Just stuff the shells and pop them in the fridge until you’re ready for dinner. Take the shells out of the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature for about 30 minutes, then bake and serve!
Tips for Success
This recipe has turned out great every time I’ve tried it. Here are some tips to help yours come out just as amazing!
- Drain the shells well after cooking: Make sure that you drain the excess water that can be hiding inside the shells after cooking. Excess water will make the cheese filling more runny.
- Make All the Shells: A pasta shell or two is bound to break. There should be 33-35 shells per box, so make sure to cook all of them in case you end up needing some extra.
- Make Them Your Way: If you prefer your pasta soft with no browning on the cheese or crispy bits around the edges, leave the aluminum foil on the whole time.
Variation Ideas
Stuffed shells are super versatile, so there are tons of ways to put your own spin on this recipe. Check out these ideas for inspiration.
- Skip the Spinach: If spinach isn’t your thing, you can definitely leave it out of this recipe. A good substitution would be chopped broccoli, or you can go veggie-free and serve some on the side instead.
- Add Other Veggies: On the flip side, some people want even more veggies! I like to try and sneak in some broccoli, chopped tomato, peppers or zucchini.
- Swap Out the Beef: You can swap the beef out for ground pork or turkey, or even crumbled tofu if you prefer. Another way to make it vegetarian is to leave out the protein entirely, and throw in some extra spinach or some of the veggies listed above.
- Use a Different Sauce: Some people prefer cream sauce to tomato sauce, in which case you can crack open a jar of Alfredo instead.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
This dish is just as good reheated, so don’t worry about leftovers, just cover them tightly with plastic or foil or move them to an airtight container. They’ll last for up to 5 days in the fridge, so you’ll have a meal ready any day of the week.
You can reheat your stuffed shells in the microwave or the oven. For the microwave, cook them in 45-second intervals until they have cooked through. To bake them, move them into a baking dish and cover it with foil. Pop them in the oven at 375°F until they’re warmed through.
Do Stuffed Shells Freeze Well?
If you’re freezing fully assembled stuffed shells as weekday meal prep, I recommend freezing them before the baking step. Instead of assembling the shells in a baking dish, assemble them in a freezer-safe container the same way you would when prepping them for the oven. Wrap the whole lidded container in a layer of plastic wrap and a second layer of foil and pop it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When you take them out to bake them, bake them as you would when they’re fresh, but heat them in the oven for 1 hour instead of 30 minutes before taking off the foil. By the end, the cheese should be completely melted and the shells cooked through.
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Beef Stuffed Shells Recipe
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeThese Beef Stuffed Shells have the same filling my Italian grandma used in her homemade ravioli. Same comforting flavors with less work! We love making this recipe for family dinners (with leftovers!) or for parties and holidays when we have to feed a crowd.
Ingredients
- 1 box jumbo pasta shells, cooked according to package directions
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 10 ounces frozen, chopped spinach, squeezed dry of any excess water
- 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- Fresh black pepper to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- 1/3 plus 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
- 2 1/2 cups marinara sauce (plus more if needed for serving)
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Cook the pasta shells according to the package instructions. Drain well and set aside.
- Add the oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the ground beef to the onions, breaking up with a spoon to brown through. Drain the grease from the pan.
- Add the spinach, garlic, salt, pepper, garlic powder and oregano to the beef. Stir to combine then remove from the heat.
- To a large bowl, add the ricotta cheese, egg, 1/3 cup of the parmesan cheese. Add the beef and spinach filling and mix until combined.
- Add 2 cups of the sauce to the bottom of a 9″ x 13″ baking dish.
- Stuff the shells generously with the filling and place in the baking dish. Try and use the shells that aren’t broken, you should have some extra to choose from.
- Repeat with the remaining shells, cover with mozzarella cheese and the remaining 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese.
- Spray a piece of foil large with non-stick cooking spray, then cover the dish and place in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and return the shells to the oven for another 15 minutes. Serve with warmed sauce on the side if desired.
Recipe Notes
- To Freeze Ahead of Time: Freeze before the baking step. Assemble in a freezer-safe container. Wrap container in plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Cook as directed but bake for 1 hour instead of 30 minutes before taking off the foil.
- To Store: Cover tightly with plastic or foil or place in an airtight container and refrigerate up to 5 days.
- To Freeze Leftovers: Double-bag in freezer bags or keep in a wrapped and lidded airtight container up to 3 months.
- To Reheat Baked Leftovers: If frozen after baking, thaw in fridge overnight. From the fridge, microwave in 30 second intervals until warmed through OR bake in foil-covered a baking dish at 375°F until warmed through.
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
