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!
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Stuffed pasta shells were always a special treat in our household.
My mom would fill each giant shell with a savory blend of meat and cheese, layering them in a dish with just the right amount of sauce. It was the kind of meal that brought everyone to the table without hesitation.
Just like these spinach lasagna roll ups, or my favorite baked pasta dish, this recipe for Italian stuffed shells is a comforting classic that’s sure to win over even the pickiest eaters.
Today, we’re making conchiglie ripiene, or stuffed shells, as they’re known in Italian. These giant pasta shells, called conchiglioni, are the perfect vessel for a hearty filling of meat and cheese. You can easily customize this dish to suit your taste or what you have on hand, using any lean ground meat—beef, veal, chicken, turkey, or even sausage—for a satisfying and versatile meal.
The combination of ricotta, mozzarella, and Romano cheese with the meat makes the perfect filling. If you are looking for a meatless variation, be sure to try my stuffed shells with ricotta and spinach.
At first glance, the recipe may look long. But don’t worry. I’ve broken it down into simple steps so it’s as easy as possible.
Whether it’s your first time or you’re already a pasta pro, you’ll have no trouble putting this dish together.
Jump to:
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 cheese mixture 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 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 the cheese and meat-filled pasta shells facing up in the prepared dish.
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 Italian parsley and extra grated cheese.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
Tips
- Boil the pasta shells just until al dente, as they will continue to cook in the oven. This prevents them from becoming too soft or falling apart when filling.
- A piping bag (or even a resealable bag with the corner cut off) can make stuffing the shells quicker and less messy. A small spoon works just as well if you prefer a hands-on approach.
- Stuffed shells can be assembled up to a day in advance. Just cover and refrigerate until ready to bake. You can even freeze them for longer storage—just add a few extra minutes to the baking time if cooking from frozen.
FAQ
Using a small spoon works perfectly, but if you want to speed things up, try a piping bag or a resealable bag with the corner cut off for easy filling. Fill each cavity with about 2-3 tablespoons of the meat and cheese filling.
This recipe works best with large pasta shells (conchiglie), but you can use manicotti or cannelloni if you can’t find shells. Adjust the filling process accordingly.
Absolutely! You can assemble the stuffed shells up to a day in advance. Cover them tightly and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake.
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.
Serving suggestions
During the winter months, I love pairing these Italian stuffed shells with a crisp, refreshing fennel orange salad. In the summer, my go-to side is a simple and vibrant tomato arugula salad. For dessert, I enjoy this light and refreshing fruit parfait recipe with homemade ricotta. Feeling a little indulgent? Treat yourself to these crunchy almond biscotti. They are the perfect treat, especially with a freshly brewed espresso!
Italian pasta dishes
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 my YouTube channel. Just click on the following link and be sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel.
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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!
Recipe
Italian Stuffed Shells
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Ingredients
Tomato Sauce:
- ½ Tomato Sauce recipe 3-3½ cups
Large Pasta Shells:
- 24 large pasta shells
- 2 tablespoons salt
Meat Mixture:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic fresh, chopped
- pinch red pepper flakes optional
- 1 pound ground meat 454 grams, chicken, veal or beef
- 2 tablespoons white wine to deglaze pan
Cheese Filling:
- 2 cups ricotta about 15 ounces or 450 grams
- 2 eggs slightly beaten, room temperature
- ½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese or Pecorino Romano Cheese grated, plus more to garnish
- 1½ cups mozzarella cheese freshly grated
- 2 tablespoons Italian flat-leaf parsley fresh, chopped
Topping:
- reserved tomato sauce heated
- Italian flat-leaf parsley to garnish, fresh, chopped
- Pecorino Romano cheese to garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the Tomato Sauce. If more convenient can use a commercial product.
Boil the Large Pasta Shells:
- Bring a very large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 2 tablespoons of salt. Add the pasta shells. Cook according to the package instructions minus a few minutes since the pasta continues to bake in the oven. Place a clean kitchen towel on the countertop. When ready, drain the shells and place them upside down on a clean tea towel to remove excess water and to cool down.
Make the Meat Mixture:
- While waiting for the pasta, 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 from the meat and set it aside to cool down.
Make the Cheese Mixture:
- In a large bowl combine all the ingredients to make the cheese mixture. That is 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.
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 cheese mixture to make the filling.
- Using two spoons or a pastry bag with the bottom cut off, fill each cavity with about 1½-2 tablespoons of the filling.
- Place about a ½-1 cup of tomato sauce at the base of your baking dish. To bake all of the 24 shells, you will need a 13 x 9″ baking dish.
- Tilt the dish so that the sauce coats the bottom evenly.
- Place all of the filled pasta shells in the prepared dish facing up.
- Top with the remaining tomato sauce, reserving about 1 cup.
- Place a piece of parchment paper over the top. Then cover tightly with a piece of aluminum foil.
- Bake in a preheated oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes.
- Uncover both the aluminum wrap and the parchment paper and bake for another 3-5 minutes.
- Remove from the oven.
- Garnish with reserved tomato sauce (heated), chopped fresh parsley and extra grated cheese.
- WATCH THE VIDEO ON THE RECIPE CARD TO SEE HOW EASY IT IS TO MAKE THIS STUFFED PASTA SHELLS RECIPE!
Video
Notes
- One portion size is calculated as 2 pasta shells.
- Use a large pot of water to boil the pasta to prevent them from sticking together and breaking.
- Boil a few extra pasta shells just in case a few of them break while boiling them.
- 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 pasta shell with about 2-3 tablespoons of the meat and cheese filling. Can you Freeze the STUFFED PASTA SHELLS? Yes. Place them individually on a cookie sheet that fits your freezer. Freeze for a couple of hours. Then, remove and place 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.
Nutrition
I originally published this post on November 23, 2019, and republished it on November 22, 2024, with updated content and a video. Thanks for sharing.
Jackie P
I have two questions:
1. If I’m reading this correctly, you are mixing the cheese filling with the meat mixture, so it is all together as just one filling that goes into the cooked shells, right?
2. You suggest these can be frozen. Do you need to thaw them before baking? Or am I reading that you put them from frozen right into the oven (covered with sauce, etc.)?
Thank you do much! I look forward to trying this recipe!
Maria
Thanks for your interest Jackie. 1-Yes, you combine the cooled meat mixture with the cheese mixture. 2-There is no need to thaw. Bake as per directions but you may need to add 5-10 minutes to the total baking time. Enjoy!
Margaret
Hi Maria! These are restaurant quality. I love the filling. I could only get Barilla large shells which are smaller than what your recipe calls for so I just served more per person. I had marinara sauce already made in the freezer. I made the filling the day before so I just had to cook the shells, stuff and bake. I got about 40 shells in all fyi for anyone who uses that size shell. I am freezing the rest and will add sauce and bake for a second meal. Wonderful!
Margaret
Maria
How wonderful Margaret! Thanks for shairing!
Enrique
Hi Maria! Really love your recipes.
Can you tell me what is the size of those conciglie? They come in many sizes, some of they named conciglione which I assume are a one per person.
Thanks in advance.
Enrique
Maria
Thanks so much for your kind words Enrique!
Yes, those are the ones I used. I will usually plate 2 per person. Enjoy!
JoAnne Hanson
Oh Maria,
These are so delicious, as are all your other recipes.
How can I replace the meat with spinach for my son who is a vegetarian?
Thanks so much for all you have given us.
JoAnne
Joe Mathison
Stellar, surprised the family when they got home. Everyone loved it. Thank you
Maria
What a great surprise! So thrilled to read this! Thanks for sharing Joe!
Felicia Thayer
Absolutely delicious, however I felt that this recipe was very labor intensive.
Maria
Glad you enjoyed the pasta dish. Thanks for sharing Felicia.
Denise C
Step 7 says this, “ Top with the remaining tomato sauce, reserving about 1 cup.”. What do I do with that 1 cup of reserved sauce?
Maria
Thanks for your interest Denise. When I am serving the shells, I spoon a little over each portion, topped with extra cheese and parsley. I have updated the recipe card. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
Rose
Great recipe.
In my family we stuff half of the shells with only the meat mixture (a bit of sauce and grated cheese) and ricotta mixture for the other half. Then we serve one or two of each stuffed shell per plate. This pleases the picky eaters in my family.
BTW Do you have a good and simple recipe for GNOCCHI?
Maria
Thanks Rose. Stay tuned for the gnocchi recipe.
Val
Baked pasta shells are my favorite! Can’t wait to try this recipe, thanks Maria!
Maria
Great to hear Val! Enjoy! Thanks for stopping by, appreciate it.