Italian Stuffed Shells Recipe with Meat and Cheese

Baked Italian Stuffed Shells are the ultimate comfort food. Giant pasta shells, with a meat & cheese stuffing, smothered in tomato sauce and baked to perfection in a casserole dish.  A real crowd pleaser!

Just like these spinach lasagna roll ups, or this baked pasta dish, this Italian stuffed pasta recipe is sure to please even the pickiest of eaters.

Today, we are stuffing these giant shells, known as Conchiglie in Italian, with a mixture of meat and cheese.

Any lean ground meat can be used in this recipe-beef, veal, chicken, turkey or even sausage.

The cheese mixture of ricotta, mozzarella, and Romano ensures a creamy texture when combined with the meat. 

You won’t believe how easy they are to make.

Mise en place

Doing a little bit of prep work facilitates the assembling of these Italian shells.

Let’s begin!

The Tomato Sauce: For this recipe, you need a tomato or Marinara Sauce. You will need approximately 3-3½ cups. I used half of the amount of my Quick Tomato Sauce recipe. If it is more convenient for you, use your favorite commercial brand. 

Cook the Pasta: Bring a very large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 2 tablespoons of salt. Add about 24 -26 shells, a few at a time to prevent them from sticking together. 

Cook according to the package instructions minus a few minutes since it continues to bake in the oven.

Prepare a clean tea towel on the countertop.

When ready, remove the giant shells from the pot of boiling water.

Drain and place upside down on a clean tea towel to remove the excess water. Set aside.

The Meat Mixture: While waiting for the pasta to cook, sauté the chopped onion in 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat until beginning to soften (3-4 minutes).

Add 2-3 cloves of chopped garlic, a few pinches of red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to taste, and sauté for an additional 2-3 minutes stirring frequently.

Add the lean minced meat. Saute and break up the meat with a wooden spoon. Cook until cooked through about 5-7 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Turn the heat to medium-high. De-glaze pan with 2 tablespoons of white wine.

Drain the fat and set aside the meat to cool down.

The Cheese Mixture: In a large bowl combine 2 cups fresh ricotta, 2 eggs, ½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese or Pecorino Romano Cheese, 1½ cups freshly grated mozzarella and 2 tablespoons freshly chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley.

The cheese filling is done. 

It’s now time to combine all the ingredients together.

How to assemble

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Place the oven grate in the center.

Combine the room temperature meat mixture with the cheeses to make the filling.

Using two spoons or a pastry bag with the bottom cut off, fill each of the 24-26 cavities with about 2-3 tablespoons of the meat and cheese filling. As you can see, they are completely filled up.

Place about a ½-1 cup of tomato sauce at the base of a 13 x 9″ baking dish. Tilt the dish so that the sauce coats the bottom evenly.

Place them in the prepared dish facing up. 

Top with the remaining tomato sauce, reserving at least 1 cup. 

Place a piece of parchment paper over the top. Then cover tightly with a piece of aluminum foil.

Bake for 20-30 minutes until cooked through and bubbling.

Uncover both the aluminum wrap and the parchment paper and bake for another 3-5 minutes.

Remove the baked dish from the oven.

Garnish with reserved tomato sauce (heated), chopped fresh parsley and extra grated cheese. 

Serve immediately. 

Tips

• Under-cook the pasta when boiling it as it continues to bake in the oven.
• Make sure the meat is no longer hot when combining it with the cheese mixture.

How to stuff

Using two spoons or a pastry bag with the bottom cut off, fill each cavity with about 2-3 tablespoons of the meat and cheese filling. 

Can they be frozen?

Yes. Place them individually on a cookie sheet that fits your freezer. Freeze for a couple of hours. Then, remove and place them in a freezable container. When ready to bake, simply place them in a casserole with the tomato sauce and bake covered for 50-60 minutes.

Italian dinner recipes we love

• Baked Cod Fish
• Italian Sausage, Potatoes, Peppers and Onions
• Roasted Vegetable Pasta
• Pasta and Lentils
• Homemade Calzones
• Penne all’Arrabbiata
• Pan-Seared Rack of Lamb
• Tuna Pasta Recipe

 

Recipe inspiration

You probably wouldn’t be surprised if I told you that “growing up Italian” meant we had pasta dishes three times a week.

Baked pasta dishes were a family favorite.

Baked spaghetti, lasagna, cannelloni, baked ziti, manicotti and of course these large pasta shells stuffed with different combinations of meat, cheese, and sausage. Always topped with homemade tomato sauce.

If you would like to see how to make these stuffed shells with meat, head on over to YouTube.  Just click on the following link and be sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel.

THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.

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Ciao for now,

Maria

★★★★★ If you have made these Italian stuffed shells with meat, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!