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Easy Cheesy Baked Stuffed Shells with Ricotta

A spoonful of cheesy, baked stuffed shells being lifted from a white dish, showing a dramatic cheese pull.
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Make this classic comfort food for your family dinner tonight. This easy recipe uses jumbo pasta shells filled with a creamy ricotta mixture and baked in marinara sauce until bubbly.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 box (12 oz) jumbo pasta shells
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound ground beef (optional, substitute with more cheese/spinach for vegetarian)
  • 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 (24 oz) jar marinara sauce
  • 1 (15 oz) container whole milk ricotta cheese
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
  2. Cook the jumbo pasta shells according to package directions until al dente. Drain the shells and rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Set aside.
  3. If using beef: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. Cook until the beef is browned. Drain off any excess fat.
  4. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, beaten egg, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. If using meat, stir the cooked ground beef into the cheese mixture.
  5. Spread about 1 cup of marinara sauce evenly over the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
  6. Carefully stuff each cooked pasta shell with the ricotta filling mixture. Arrange the filled shells in a single layer in the baking dish over the sauce.
  7. Pour the remaining marinara sauce over the stuffed shells.
  8. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese evenly over the top of the shells and sauce. Sprinkle with extra Parmesan cheese.
  9. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted and lightly golden brown.
  10. Let the dish rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • For a vegetarian option, replace the ground beef with 10 ounces of thawed, squeezed-dry frozen chopped spinach.
  • You can assemble this entire dish ahead of time, cover it, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking. Add 10 minutes to the baking time if baking straight from the refrigerator.
  • This recipe freezes well. Cool completely, cover tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking as directed.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://cookingbyfelix.com/easy-stuffed-shells-recipe/