Satisfying and hearty Beef and Ricotta Stuffed Shells are an easy, make-ahead dish made with simple ingredients like ground beef, cheese, and marinara. Serve them at a party to feed a crowd or on a weeknight, and enjoy the leftovers throughout the week!
In this article you'll learn:
- What makes beef and ricotta stuffed shells so reliable for weeknight dinners and entertaining, and how this recipe delivers all the comfort of lasagna in an easy, baked pasta dish.
- How to keep stuffed shells from becoming watery by cooking the beef correctly, choosing a thicker marinara, and boiling the pasta only to al dente so it holds its shape.
- The best way to fill and assemble jumbo pasta shells, including my test-kitchen tips for even portioning and getting perfectly baked, melty results every time.
- Ingredient swaps that could work, such as cottage cheese instead of ricotta, ground turkey or sausage in place of beef, and frozen spinach when fresh isn’t available.
- Make-ahead, freezing, and reheating instructions, plus how to bake stuffed shells directly from the fridge without overcooking them.
Generated with AI and experts from the Tara Teaspoon team.
When I know I'll be hosting family and friends, I like to serve easy and satisfying meals that feel special but come together with simple ingredients. Classics like Ravioli with Fresh Tomatoes and Spinach or Eggplant Tomato Pasta are always crowd-pleasers!
Everyone loves this recipe
This recipe for Beef and Ricotta Stuffed Shells is a new favorite for entertaining and weeknight dinners. Not only is it easy and satisfying, but the simple flavors make a hearty baked pasta dish the whole family will enjoy, even your pickiest eaters!
This stuffed shells recipe has the taste of lasagna, and is a definite keeper:
- Simple recipe: One of the reasons I love this recipe is that it's made with minimal equipment from simple ingredients like ground beef, cheese, spinach, and marinara sauce.
- Classic favorite: This baked pasta, with its classic flavors, is the perfect anytime meal for kids and grown-ups alike. It even makes a great holiday main dish!
- Convenient: Since these shells can be made in advance, they're a super timesaver for busy weeknights and party prep. They freeze well too! Just bake them when you're ready for dinner!
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Ingredients
I've got a few tips to share with you to help you gather the best ingredients. See recipe card for quantities.
- Jumbo pasta shells: You'll need 12 ounces of jumbo pasta shells (also called conchiglie rigate). Rigate means that the outside of the shells have ridges, which help to catch and hold the sauce.
- Avocado oil: Or other cooking oil like canola or mild olive oil.
- Yellow onion: It's best to finely dice the onion.
- Minced garlic: I minced 2 cloves of garlic, but you could also use 2 teaspoons store bought minced garlic.
- Lean ground beef: Using lean meat (usually labeled 80/20) means less fat in your dish and helps prevent the shells from turning watery during the cooking process.
- Tomato paste
- Kosher salt
- Italian seasoning: Find this in the spice aisle. It's a mixture of dried basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and parsley.
- Fennel seeds: These seeds are often found in sausage and will give the stuffed shells a warm, earthy flavor.
- Baby spinach: When measuring, pack the spinach into the measuring cup, then chop it roughly.
- Shredded mozzarella
- Finely grated Parmesan
- Part-skim ricotta
- Marinara sauce: A quality marinara makes all the difference, look for one with simple ingredients and no added sugar.
Jumbo shells tips
Jumbo pasta shells (also called conchiglie rigate) are the largest shell pasta shape you can get. They are made specifically for stuffing, and baking, so here are my top tips for using them.
Make extra shells: I typically make an entire 12-ounce box of shells because inevitably, some of the shells will break or tear. You're guaranteed to have enough shells to fill if you make a little extra from the get-go. Extra cooked shells can be served as a snack as buttered noodles or tossed with extra sauce!
Don't overcook the shells: Since the shells will continue cooking in the oven, you only want to boil them until just al dente (that means "to the tooth") and just barely cooked through. They should still have some bite and texture. Overcooked noodles will release excess water during the baking process and could make your shells watery.
You can test for doneness by removing a piece of a broken shell and tasting it! That's why I suggest you cook more than you'll need. Some tend to break and tear.
How to make beef and ricotta stuffed shells
To get started, follow these step-by-step instructions. See recipe card for comprehensive directions.
- Step 1: Cook the shells in a large pot of salted water according to package directions, until al dente.
- Step 2: Drain and rinse under cold water. Place them on a baking sheet in a single layer so they don't stick together. Heat oven to 375ºF.
- Step 3: In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook the onion and garlic until softened, about 3 minutes. Then add ground beef and cook till browned, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Step 4: Mix in the tomato paste, salt, Italian seasoning, fennel if using, and chopped spinach. Stir until well combined.
- Step 5: Take the meat mixture from the heat and spread it onto a baking sheet to quickly cool.
- Step 6: In a mixing bowl, stir together the cooled meat mixture, 1 cup of mozzarella, Parmesan, and ricotta cheese until well combined.
- Step 7: Pour about 2 cups marinara in the bottom of your baking dish. Fill 20 cooked pasta shells with about 2 tablespoons ricotta mixture each, and place them side by side in the dish. Top with remaining marinara sauce and cover with foil.
- Step 8: Bake until heated through, 30 minutes. Take dish from oven, remove foil, and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella. Continue baking uncovered about 10 to 12 minutes until melty and bubbly, even in the middle.
Hint: For serving, let the shells rest for 5 minutes for the cheese to set. They're delicious served with fresh basil on top!
Tara's top tips
I use a 2 tablespoon-sized cookie or ice cream scoop to make portioning the filling easy. Simply scoop the filling and release it into each shell.
Cottage cheese vs. ricotta: You can swap cottage cheese for the ricotta, but you will get a less creamy filling. The curds of cottage cheese are much more dry than the cultured creaminess of even part-skim ricotta.
Use frozen spinach in place of fresh spinach! I use about ½ a package of frozen spinach thawed, squeezed of excess water, then added when you add the fresh spinach to the meat mixture.
Do you love sausage or turkey? You can swap equal amounts of ground turkey or chicken, or Italian sausage for the ground beef. Please note the flavor and texture will not be the same, but I encourage you to create the recipe you want!
Equipment
Use a quarter sheet pan for quickly cooling the filling.
I love this large Kitchenaid Skillet to cook the meat mixture.
A standard 9-by-13-inch baking dish works perfectly.
Make-ahead and storage
Make-ahead: Prep the shells up to one day in advance, cover, and refrigerate. Bake cold, adding an additional 15 minutes to the baking time if needed since it's starting cold.
Freeze for later: Place filled, unbaked shells in a freezer-safe dish (with the sauce), cover tightly, and freeze for up to 2 months. Leave off the cheese topping until ready to bake. Thaw in the refrigerator before baking and follow the make-ahead directions above.
Leftovers: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.
FAQ
This recipe is baked with 24 ounces (3 cups of sauce). If you love extra sauce, warm some up separately just before serving to use as a topping.
Ground beef can hold a lot of liquid, and if enough didn't evaporate in cooking that could be a culprit. Another reason is the pasta was overcooked, or the marinara you chose is really thin and watery. Make sure there isn't any excess liquid in any of the components of the recipe to solve your issue.
Yes please! Cooking the meat in advance will ensure that the final dish is cooked through and safe to eat.
More easy pasta recipes
If you're a pasta lover like me, you've got to try these easy and satisfying faves:
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📖 Full Recipe
Beef and Ricotta Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
- 1 box (12 ounces) jumbo pasta shells (also called conchiglie rigate*)
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 small yellow onion (finely diced, ¾ cup)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 12 ounces (¾ pound) lean ground beef (80% lean/20% fat)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon fennel seeds (crushed, optional)
- 2 ounces (2 cups packed) baby spinach (roughly chopped)
- 8 ounces (2 cups) shredded mozzarella (DIVIDED)
- 1½ ounces (⅓ cup) Parmesan cheese (finely grated)
- 8 ounces (1 cup) part-skim ricotta
- 24 ounces (3 cups) marinara sauce**
- Fresh basil (for serving, optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the shells according to package directions, until just al dente (barely cooked through with some texture, you don’t want to over cook the shells).
- Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside on a baking sheet in a single layer to prevent sticking.
- Heat oven to 375ºF.
- Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the ground beef and break up the meat into tiny pieces with a wooden spoon or spatula. Cook until it is browned and cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato paste, salt, Italian seasoning, fennel if using, and spinach. Mix to combine well. Remove from heat and spread mixture onto a baking sheet to cool quickly.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the cooled meat mixture, 1 cup of the mozzarella, Parmesan, and ricotta. Stir well to combine.
- Spread almost 2 cups marinara in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Using a spoon or cookie scoop, fill 20 cooked pasta shells with about 2 tablespoons of meat mixture each. Arrange them snugly in the baking dish. Spoon remaining 1 cup marinara sauce over the shells and cover the pan with foil.
- Bake for 30 minutes until heated through. Pull from oven, remove the foil, and sprinkle remaining 1 cup mozzarella over the top. Bake, uncovered until cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling, even in the middle, 10 to 12 more minutes.
- Let the shells rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with fresh basil on top if desired.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Tara Teaspoon
I’ve been in food publishing for over 25 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television, food brands, & advertising. With two cookbooks under my belt and thousands of my recipes at your fingertips, I hope you'll be inspired to spend more time in the kitchen!
Tara says
This is one of our family favorites!
Tara Teaspoon Admin says
So glad to hear that! Thanks for leaving a comment and recipe rating!