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Home » Pasta » Italian Stuffed Shells Recipe with Meat and Cheese

Italian Stuffed Shells Recipe with Meat and Cheese

November 23, 2019 , Updated January 28, 2021 Maria 8 Comments

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Italian stuffed pasta shells filled with meat and cheese and topped with chopped parsley.

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!

Italian Stuffed Shells in a white plate with lots of tomato sauce.

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.

Meat and cheese pasta shells on a white plate.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. 

Giant pasta shells are placed upside down on a clean tea towel.

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.

Lean minced meat is sauteed with onions and garlic in a pan.

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 measured ingredients to make the cheese mixture are placed in bowls.

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.

The meat and cheese mixture to make the stuffed shells are combined in a large bowl.

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

The cooked pasta shells are filled with the meat and cheese mixture.

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.

The filled pasta shells in a baking dish.

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. 

Pasta shells in a larger caserole dish topped with tomato sauce.

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. 

Italian pasta shells on a white ceramic plate topped with parsley and grated cheese.

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 as my friend Carlo and I plan to share more wonderful recipes with all of you!

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.

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!

Baked Italian pasta shells on a white dinner plate dusted with cheese.

Italian Stuffed Shells

Baked Italian Stuffed Shells are the ultimate comfort food. Giant pasta shells hold a meat & cheese stuffing, smothered in tomato sauce. Such a crowd pleaser!
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 329kcal
Author: Maria Vannelli RD

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
  • 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
Prevent your screen from going dark

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 cheeses 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. 
Scroll UP for the STEP by STEP PhotosDon't miss the process shots and videos included in most posts. Simply scroll up the post to find them. Those were created especially for you so that you can make the recipe perfectly every single time you try it.

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.
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is just a rough estimate and variations can occur depending on the specific ingredients used. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 329kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 1373mg | Potassium: 230mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 390IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 219mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @shelovesbiscotti or tag #shelovesbiscotti!

 

Pasta

About Maria

Maria Vannelli is a registered dietitian who lives in a suburb just outside Montreal, Canada. She's the founder of the food blog She Loves Biscotti. Maria hopes to inspire you and bring you and your loved ones closer together at meal times enabling you to create some memorable moments.

Comments

  1. Felicia Thayer says

    November 8, 2020 at 08:31

    Absolutely delicious, however I felt that this recipe was very labor intensive.

    Reply
    • Maria says

      November 19, 2020 at 22:11

      Glad you enjoyed the pasta dish. Thanks for sharing Felicia.

      Reply
  2. Denise C says

    September 16, 2020 at 11:16

    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?

    Reply
    • Maria says

      September 27, 2020 at 10:14

      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.

      Reply
  3. Rose says

    November 25, 2019 at 18:48

    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?

    Reply
    • Maria says

      January 3, 2020 at 11:29

      Thanks Rose. Stay tuned for the gnocchi recipe.

      Reply
  4. Val says

    November 23, 2019 at 20:45

    5 stars
    Baked pasta shells are my favorite! Can’t wait to try this recipe, thanks Maria!

    Reply
    • Maria says

      November 23, 2019 at 22:03

      Great to hear Val! Enjoy! Thanks for stopping by, appreciate it.

      Reply

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Hello and Welcome to She Loves Biscotti!
I'm Maria: dietitian and full time content creator. Join me as I share traditional Italian recipes from my youth, to modern twists on classics using fresh and seasonal ingredients.

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