Beef Stuffed Shells with Ricotta and Marinara
Jumbo pasta shells filled with cooked beef and ricotta, baked under marinara and mozzarella, with a ten-minute rest.
Ingredients
Pasta and Sauces
- 12 ounces jumbo pasta shells dry jumbo stuffing shells; count varies by brand
- 24 ounces marinara sauce 24 ounces total by weight; measure 1 cup underneath and use the remainder on top
Beef Filling
- 1 lb lean ground beef cook separately to 160°F before filling
- 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg (lightly beaten) do not taste uncooked egg filling
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley (chopped)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Toppings
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese For topping before baking
Instructions
- Boil the dry shells to the package al dente endpoint. Drain and separate on a tray; heat the oven to 375°F.
- Brown beef with onion in a skillet, stirring into small crumbles. Add garlic briefly, verify 160°F, drain fat, and cool about 5 minutes.
- Combine ricotta, Parmesan, egg, parsley, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Fold in the beef; do not taste this uncooked egg mixture.
- Coat a 9×13-inch dish with 1 cup marinara. Share filling among the shells, arrange in one layer, and add remaining sauce and mozzarella.
- Cover and bake 25 minutes. Uncover for 10–15 minutes or longer until the central filling registers 165°F. Rest 10 minutes and portion six ways.
Notes
Cook meat separately; the filling contains raw egg until baked. Fifty-minute cooking allowance includes skillet and oven stages, with pasta cooked while the filling is prepared. Rest ten minutes. Jar weight is not a cup measurement; retain all sauce after the one-cup base.