Easy Baked Beef Stuffed Pasta Shells Recipe

#BeefStuffedPastaShell #BeefStuffedShells #StuffedShells #Pasta #NorthCarolina

Note: Just posted this recipe yesterday on our YouTube channel. Link in my bio. Thank you.❤️

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This Easy Baked Beef Stuffed Shells with ricotta cheese recipe is rich and such a comforting dish, cozy and delicious. It’s a complete meal that would be excellent served with a simple side dish. They’re perfect for dinner and reheat beautifully. This recipe comes together quickly and can be made ahead of time.

Preheat Oven: 375°F / 190°C

Baking Time: 30 minutes (covered with foil)

Additional Time: 10 minutes (without foil)

Servings: 8

Easy Baked Beef-Stuffed Pasta Shells Recipe | Baked Beef-Stuffed Pasta Shells with Creamy Ricotta Filling

Ingredients:

1 box (12 oz) jumbo pasta shells

1 pound ground beef, (93% lean, 7% fat)

1 (15 ounce) ricotta cheese

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 sweet peppers, finely diced

1 jar (24 oz) Marinara sauce (or any pasta sauce of your choice)

2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 large egg

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided

Freshly chopped parsley, for garnish

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Note: 1. To make ahead, cover and refrigerate

the stuffed shells after assembly. When

ready to bake, remove from fridge and

bake as instructed, adding about

10 minutes to the covered baking time.

2. You can substitute ground beef to

ground turkey or chicken in its place.

3. You can freeze beef stuffed shells for

up to a month. If baking from frozen,

be sure to double the baking time or

thaw in the refrigerator before baking.

4. I cooked the whole box of pasta shells

and I used 25 of them. Some shells

tend to break or rip in the cooking

process, so it’s nice to have extras.

5. 'AL DENTE' means firm to the bite.

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Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375*F / 190*C.

2. Cook pasta shells according to package instructions until al dente, add 1 tablespoon of salt, drain, and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process and keep pasta from sticking. Set aside.

3. In a large skillet/pan, cook ground beef until brown and crumbled over medium heat. Add and sauté chopped onion until tender. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.

4. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper. Drain excess fat and set aside.

5. Combine and spread the marinara sauce and half of the beef mixture on the 9x13 baking dish

6. In a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, egg, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, finely diced sweet peppers, Italian seasoning, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp freshly cracked black pepper and the remaining half of the beef mixture.

7. Fill each cooked pasta shell about 1 tablespoon of the ricotta mixture and arrange into a baking dish Sprinkle the top with 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese.

8. Cover with foil and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from oven.

9. Serve it with garlic bread or roasted vegetables. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and enjoy!🍝