Believe me when I tell you this recipe tastes like Italian restaurant takeout food. This is the easiest and best-stuffed shells recipe. Who says you have to work very hard in the kitchen to eat delicious food? This is a complete meal in itself.
These pasta shells stuffed with creamy cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, and egg mixture, topped with a delicious ground beef and tomato sauce, and then baked to perfection with a generous amount of melted mozzarella cheese will have everyone asking for seconds.
Bring Italy to your table and enjoy a great dinner tonight.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH ITALIAN STUFFED SHELLS?
The perfect side dish for this delicious meal is a tossed mixed-greens salad. Add shredded carrots, sliced tomatoes, chopped red onions, and cucumber slices to your mixed greens and drench them in Italian dressing. Add a couple of slices of crusty bread and you have yourself an amazing dinner.
HOW TO MAKE ITALIAN STUFFED SHELLS?
- Using a large skillet, cook the ground beef, onion and garlic until meat is brown and no pink is left.
- Mix in the hot water, tomato paste, beef bouillon, and oregano. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes until reduced to your desired consistency.
- While the meat sauce is simmering, in a small bowl mix the cottage cheese and beaten egg with the Parmesan and one cup of the mozzarella cheeses.
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Stuff the cooked pasta shells with the cheese and egg mixture and arrange them in a greased 9 x13 inch casserole dish.
- Spoon the meat and tomato sauce over the pasta shells, cover with foil and bake for 30 mins. After 30 mins, remove the foil, sprinkle with the rest of the mozzarella cheese and bake 5 more minutes until the cheese is totally melted.
HOW TO FREEZE STUFFED SHELLS?
Prepare your casserole with the stuffed shells and meat sauce all assembled, then cover with plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 3 months.
When ready to serve, transfer to the fridge the night before and take it out 30 mins before baking. Cover with foil and bake for 30-40 minutes, covered. Take off the foil, add the mozzarella cheese and bake for 5 more minutes until the cheese is melted.
TIPS AND MODIFICATIONS FOR STUFFED SHELLS:
- Be careful not to overcook your pasta shells. Cook them al dente or just until they are a bit firm still. Otherwise, they will completely fall apart when stuffed and baked.
- When cooking the meat sauce, reduce it until it reaches your desired consistency. Some people like their baked shells with a little more liquid in their sauce, others like it with a thicker sauce.
- If you want to add a bit more color and make it healthier, add chopped spinach to your meat sauce.
- If you don’t mind the extra work, add shredded carrots and chopped celery to your meat along with the chopped onion and minced garlic when browning the meat for a more authentic ragu meat sauce. Add a tsp of Italian seasoning as well.
OTHER RECIPES YOU MIGHT ENJOY
Italian Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 cups hot water
- 1 (12 oz) can tomato paste
- 1 tbsp beef bouillon granules
- 1 ½ tsp dried oregano
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 2 cups 4% cottage cheese
- 2 cups part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 24 jumbo pasta shells, cooked and drained
Instructions
- Using a large skillet, cook the ground beef, onion and garlic until meat is brown and no pink is left.
- Mix in the hot water, tomato paste, beef bouillon, and oregano. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes until reduced to your desired consistency.
- While the meat sauce is simmering, in a small bowl mix the cottage cheese and beaten egg with the Parmesan and one cup of the mozzarella cheeses.
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Stuff the cooked pasta shells with the cheese and egg mixture and arrange them in a greased 9 x13 inch casserole dish.
- Spoon the meat and tomato sauce over the pasta shells, cover with foil and bake for 30 mins. After 30 mins, remove the foil, sprinkle with the rest of the mozzarella cheese and bake 5 more minutes until the cheese is totally melted.
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