Recipe Background
This pasta dish is the stuff that comfort-food dreams are made of! Stuffed Italian Shells entrap all the spices and tomato goodness that you long for. This beyond cheesy mixture, encapsulated in the bigger-than-life tender pasta shells, sits proudly on a mouthful of fabulous, saucy flavor. When your hearty appetite needs something bigger than skinny-minnie pasta, this Italian feast is just what you are looking for. Let Stuffed Italian Shells be your go-to when it comes to great, filling food made fast. You will be the one that ends up stuffed!
This pasta dish is the stuff that comfort-food dreams are made of! Stuffed Italian Shells entrap all the spices and tomato goodness that you long for. This beyond cheesy mixture, encapsulated in the bigger-than-life tender pasta shells, sits proudly on a mouthful of fabulous, saucy flavor. When your hearty appetite needs something bigger than skinny-minnie pasta, this Italian feast is just what you are looking for. Let Stuffed Italian Shells be your go-to when it comes to great, filling food made fast. You will be the one that ends up stuffed!
Ingredients
- 20 jumbo pasta shells
- 1 pound ground chuck
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 (26-ounce) jar marinara sauce
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 2 cups small curd cottage cheese
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded, divided
- 3/4 cup parmesan cheese grated, divided
- fresh basil leaves to taste, chopped, for garnish
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
- In a large pot of salted, boiling water, cook the pasta shells to al dente according to the package directions.
- Drain the pasta shells and place them upside down on a baking sheet to dry.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground chuck, while crumbling, until it is no longer pink. Drain the excess fat.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the oil and the onion to the meat, and cook until the onion is translucent, about 30 seconds.
- Add the garlic to the meat mixture and cook until it is fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Reduce the heat to low, add the marinara sauce to the meat mixture, and simmer, uncovered, while stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, mix the egg, the cottage cheese, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, and 1/2 cup of the parmesan cheese together.
- Pour 3/4 of the meat sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- Stuff the cooked shells with 1 rounded tablespoon of the cheese mixture and arrange them on top of the meat sauce, open-side up.
- Spoon the remaining meat sauce in between the shells but not directly on top of them.
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Carefully discard the foil, sprinkle the shells with the remaining mozzarella cheese and the remaining parmesan cheese, and bake until the cheese has melted, about 5-7 minutes.
- Garnish the shells with the basil and serve.
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