Italian Stuffed Shells with Meat Sauce and Ricotta
Discover how to make delicious stuffed shells with meat sauce and ricotta with our easy, step-by-step guide. Perfect Italian comfort food!
Equipment
- Large pot for boiling pasta
- Skillet for the meat sauce
- Mixing bowl for the ricotta filling
- Baking dish for assembling and baking
- Spoon or spatula for filling the shells
Ingredients
- 24 jumbo pasta shells
- 1 lb ground beef Halal
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 15 oz ricotta cheese
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 3 cups marinara sauce
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
Preparation of the Shells
- Start by boiling the pasta shells according to the package instructions until they are al dente. Drain and set aside to cool.
Making the Meat Sauce
- Preheat a skillet over medium-low heat. After adding the ground beef, break it up with a spatula.
- Once the beef starts to brown, add the chopped onions and minced garlic, cooking until the onions are translucent and the meat is fully cooked.
- Stir in 2 cups of marinara sauce, bring to a simmer, and season with salt and pepper. Put it somewhere cool after taking it out of the heat.
Preparing the Ricotta Filling
- In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, half of the mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, egg, and chopped parsley. Depending on your taste, add salt and pepper.
- Mix thoroughly until the filling is smooth and well-combined.
Assembling the Dish
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Spread the remaining cup of marinara sauce at the bottom of a baking dish.
- Take a cooled shell and spoon the ricotta mixture into it, then place it in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining shells.
- Spoon the meat sauce over the stuffed shells, making sure each shell is nicely covered.
- Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese on top.
Baking
- After baking for 25 minutes, cover the dish with foil.
- Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and slightly golden.
Notes
- If you have leftover ricotta mixture, you can freeze it for use in another batch of stuffed shells.
- Adding a dash of nutmeg to the ricotta filling can enhance the flavors.