Stuffed Shells With Meat

Traditional stuffed shells are fantastic, don’t get me wrong. But there’s not much there there. I’ll never turn down pasta, cheese, and sauce, but if you want something a little more substantive for dinner, stuffed shells with meat are your answer.

I love this meal because it’s a good balance of indulgence and nutrition. It’s still pasta and cheese but you’re also getting lots of protein in there too. It feels more like a full meal although a side salad is definitely a welcome addition too! (Maybe this cucumber salad?)

And although stuffed shells with meat do take a little prep time—you have to spoon or pipe the filling into the pasta shells —using a jar of store-bought sauce makes it a lot easier, and I promise as long as you use a quality brand, you won’t notice the difference.

Stuffed Shells With Meat

The heartiest stuffed shells. Between the cheese, the pasta, and the browned ground beef (or turkey), these stuffed shells are seriously satisfying. If your family loves pasta with meat sauce, they’ll flip for this recipe! (If you’d rather skip the meat, that’s an easy variation of this recipe, or try my manicotti recipe!)

Lots of leftovers. If you’re serving young kids, you’ll definitely end up with leftovers to bring with you to work the next day. While I figure about 5 shells per adult, if you have kids in the family, you’ll likely have 5 or 6 shells to pop in the fridge for later. And they’re just as good the next day!

Easy to meal prep. You can brown the beef in advance, make the sauce a day or two before, mix the filling ahead of time, or even assemble everything and refrigerate the casserole until you’re ready to bake it.

Versatile. There are plenty of options when you’re making stuffed shells with meat! I share some ideas below but feel free to make this recipe your own.

Ingredient Notes

• Jumbo Pasta Shells: Look for the big shells that meant for stuffing. The Italian name for jumbo pasta shells is conchiglioni. As an alternative, you can use cannelloni pasta tubes but they are a little trickier to fill.
• Lean Ground Beef: If you’d rather, ground turkey or ground Italian sausage can be substituted. A plant-based meat would also work, or the meat can be omitted.
• Yellow Onion and Garlic: These two aromatics add extra flavor to the sauce which makes it taste more like homemade!
• Italian Seasoning: Another secret to doctoring up a store-bought pasta sauce.
• Spaghetti or Marinara Sauce: Use a decent one! You don’t want to use a sauce that’s thin, watery, or bland.
• Ricotta Cheese: Whole milk, part-skim—whatever kind of ricotta you prefer.
• Shredded Mozzarella Cheese: Freshly shredded will give you the best results!
• Parmesan Cheese: I also recommend shredding your own Parm. It will melt much more smoothly!
• Fresh Parsley: If you don’t have fresh, substitute 1 tablespoon of dried parsley. If you use fresh, reserve a few sprigs for the garnish, too.
• Egg: Lightly beat the egg so it mixes evenly into the filling.
• Coarse Ground Pepper: Fresh, coarsely ground black pepper doesn’t just add flavor but also a bit of texture to these stuffed shells with meat sauce. It’s much more aromatic than store-bought ground pepper too!

How to make Stuffed Shells With Meat Sauce

Preheat your oven to 375°F and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Cook the pasta. Follow the package directions. Drain and rinse the pasta with cold water until the shells are cool enough to handle. Set the shells on a baking sheet lined with paper towels or a lint-free kitchen towel to dry.

Make the meat sauce. Brown the onion and meat in a large skillet set over medium-high heat until the meat is cooked through and no longer pink, breaking it up as you go.

Stir in the garlic and Italian seasoning . Cook for 1 minute, or until the garlic is fragrant.

Add the spaghetti sauce and stir to combine. Remove from heat.

Make the filling. In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, a half cup Parmesan, parsley, egg, and pepper until well-combined. 

Fill the shells. Choose the method that works best for you: a spoon, a piping bag or a zip-top bag with the corner cut off. It’s up to you! Fill the shells as evenly as possible.

Assemble the casserole. Spread about one third of the sauce in the bottom of a 9 × 13 inch baking pan or dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. On top of the sauce, arrange the stuffed shells.

Pour the remaining sauce over the tops. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella and a half cup Parmesan cheese.

Bake. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then, carefully uncover the pan and continue to bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is browned, the shells are heated through, and the sauce is bubbling.

Let the stuffed shells rest 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe Variations

• Make this recipe even easier. If you want to streamline this recipe a little bit, buy a high-quality jar of meat sauce and use that instead of browning your own meat. If you prefer a vegetarian casserole, simply omit the meat.
• Make the shells without ricotta. If you’re not crazy about ricotta, substitute cottage cheese. I like to purée it first for an ultra silky texture.
• Skip the stuffing step. You can stir small cooked pasta shells into the sauce, then layer them in a baking dish with the ricotta filling and cheese for an unstuffed shells with meat recipe, somewhat similar to lasagna.
• Substitute cheese ravioli. For an even easier dinner, pour the meat sauce over cheese ravioli, sprinkle the mozzarella and Parmesan on top, and bake that until bubbly and golden. Yum. Note: If you use frozen ravioli, there’s no need to thaw them first. Add 10 minutes to the first baking time.
• Add vegetables. Spinach is an easy addition to the filling. Thaw a block of frozen spinach, squeeze all the moisture out, then stir it into the ricotta mixture. You can also replace half of the meat in the sauce with diced mushrooms.

Serving Suggestions

A salad—like this classic arugula salad—is an excellent accompaniment to stuffed shells with meat. You can also work some veggies in with an easy side dish like air fryer green beans, grilled zucchini, or roasted cauliflower. Of course, you can’t go wrong with Texas toast garlic bread either!

Make Ahead Ideas

Make stuffed shells with meat ahead of time and refrigerate the casserole until you are ready to bake it. It makes a large casserole so if you want, divide it into two dishes and freeze one to bake and eat later.

Storage & Reheating Tips

Refrigerate/freeze: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. You can freeze these stuffed shells in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating according to the instructions above.

Reheat: Reheat stuffed shells with meat in the microwave or covered tightly in a 350ºF oven until warmed through.