Recipe Background
Italian Stuffed Pasta Shells is the perfect meal when you’re craving some Italian fare! Pasta shells are cooked perfectly al dente, filled with a delicious meat sauce, and covered in irresistibly melted cheese. Serve Italian Stuffed Pasta Shells with a side salad or homemade garlic bread for a complete, hearty Italian comfort meal!
Italian Stuffed Pasta Shells is the perfect meal when you’re craving some Italian fare! Pasta shells are cooked perfectly al dente, filled with a delicious meat sauce, and covered in irresistibly melted cheese. Serve Italian Stuffed Pasta Shells with a side salad or homemade garlic bread for a complete, hearty Italian comfort meal!
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chuck
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 (26-ounce) jar marinara sauce
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 2 cups small curd cottage cheese 4% milkfat
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
- 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese divided
- 20 jumbo pasta shells cooked per package directions, to al dente
- fresh basil leaves chopped, for garnish
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- After cooking the pasta shells to al dente according to the package instructions, drain and place them separated side-down on a paper towel to dry.
- Brown the beef, in a large skillet. Set it over medium heat until cooked through. Get rid of the extra fat.
- Lower the heat to medium-low.
- Add the olive oil to the skillet, and cook the onions until they are translucent.
- Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Bring the heat down to low.
- Add the sauce and simmer for about 30 minutes. Stir every so often to avoid burning at the bottom.
- Combine the egg, cottage cheese, 1/2 cup of Parmesan, and 1 cup of mozzarella in a mixing bowl.
- Add 3/4 of the meat sauce to the bottom of the baking dish.
- Using a spoon, gently fill the pasta shells with the cheese mixture.
- Place them on the dish with the opening of the shell facing up.
- Pour the remainder of the meat sauce in between the shells.
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil to avoid burning and crisping the pasta shells.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes.
- Remove the foil and sprinkle the dish with the remainder of the cheese. Bake for another 5-7 minutes to melt the cheese.
- Serve warm.
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