Want a good Italian meal, but can’t make it to a restaurant? You have to try these Italian stuffed shells! This is the perfect meal for your family and the leftovers are even better. Even my picky teen loves this one! I serve this with some warm garlic bread!
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Creamy stuffed shells with a delicious meat sauce!
These shells are stuffed with a ricotta cheese, parmesan, spinach & egg mixture. It’s the perfect balance stuffed into the al dente shell. You’ll top with your savory meat sauce and bake to perfection until the mozzarella cheese on top is melted!
You probably already have a casserole dish, but in case you don’t, I’ll link the exact one I use below! Staub casserole dishes are so easy to clean. I use this brand everyday in my home.
Get ready for the best Italian Stuffed Shells you’ll ever have!
Ingredients:
- 1 lb of hot Italian sausage ground pork OR 1 lb ground beef
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 cups warm water
- 1 (12 oz) can tomato paste
- 1 tbsp beef bouillon
- 1 ½ tsp dried oregano
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 16 ounce ricotta cheese
- 2 cups part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 10 ounce of frozen spinach, cooked and drained
- 24 jumbo pasta shells, cooked and drained
- Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, pepper & slap ya mama’s (or your favorite Cajun seasoning)
Instructions:
- Brown the ground beef, onion, and garlic in a large skillet until no pink is left.
- Mix in the water, tomato paste, beef bouillon, and oregano. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes until reduced to your desired consistency. (I taste test at this point and add seasonings to my taste. I’ve listed the ones I used above.)
- Mix the ricotta cheese, beaten egg, grated parmesan, cooked spinach and one cup of shredded mozzarella in a small bow. (I add some of the above seasonings to this mixture too.)
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Stuff the cooked pasta shells with the cheese and egg mixture and arrange them in a greased 9×13-inch casserole dish.
- Spoon the meat sauce over the pasta shells, cover with foil, and bake for 30 mins. Remove the foil, sprinkle with the rest of the mozzarella cheese, and bake for five more minutes until the cheese is melted.
Here are my Italian Stuffed Shells
Staub Casserole dish https://amzn.to/3WVl4tS
Pyrex Casserole dish https://amzn.to/3Z2ONnn
Let me know if you try this out and what you think in the comments below!