Description
Beef Stuffed Shells Ricotta is a comforting, flavorful Italian dish made with large pasta shells filled with a hearty beef and ricotta cheese mixture, topped with marinara sauce and melted mozzarella cheese.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 package large pasta shells
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 jar marinara sauce (about 24 oz)
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Cook the pasta shells according to package instructions, drain, and set aside.
- In a large skillet, cook the ground beef over medium heat until browned, breaking it apart as it cooks. Drain excess fat.
- Add marinara sauce, basil, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to the beef. Stir to combine and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, combine ricotta cheese, 1 cup of mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, and egg. Mix until smooth.
- Stuff each cooked pasta shell with the ricotta and beef mixture, placing them in a baking dish.
- Pour the remaining marinara sauce over the stuffed shells, then sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
- Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes to brown the top.
- Let it cool for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- For a richer flavor, you can add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the sauce.
- If you prefer a lighter dish, you can use lean ground turkey instead of beef.
- This dish can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 stuffed shell
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
Keywords: beef, stuffed shells, ricotta, pasta, Italian, baked