Do you put an egg in ricotta for stuffed shells?

I did not in my recipe. I found that it still makes for a delicious filling.

How long should jumbo shells boil?

I may have cooked my pasta for about 5-10 minutes in boiling water. For this recipe, you want the shells to be cooked al dente (not completely). The shells will continue to cook in the oven.

How long do shells last in the fridge?

If you are wanting to do meal prep with this recipe but not cook the dish completely right away, I would leave it in the refrigerator uncooked for 2 days. There may be other sources who would say longer, but I wouldn’t leave uncooked in the fridge for longer than 2 days. If you need more time, I would just freeze them.

Can I add veggies to the stuffed shells?

Yes. In fact, this is a good option if you are going for a vegetarian dish and don’t plan on adding meat. You can add some chopped spinach, mushrooms, or just about any other veggie you like.

Easy Stuffed Pasta Shells Recipe with Meat Sauce

Description

Easy Stuffed Pasta Shells Recipe filled with delicious ground turkey or beef and topped off with fresh Mozzarella.

Ingredients

Scale

2 lb. ground turkey or beef
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 c. onion, diced
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. Garlic powder
2 tsp. fresh basil leaves
2 tsp. Dried oregano leaves
3 garlic cloves, minced
15 oz. ricotta cheese
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
12 oz. box pasta shells
1 lb. jar of Marinara sauce
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
8 oz. fresh mozzarella, grated
Garnish: Fresh parsley

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 ℉ Degrees.
Fill a large sauce pot with water and 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring the water to a slight boil.
Add the pasta to the large pot of salted water and cook pasta shells until al dente. Drain the shells reserving ½ cup of the pasta water and return the drained shells to the pot but do not return to the heat.
Add the reserved water and a little olive oil to the pot with the shells so they won’t dry out. Cover and set aside.
In a large skillet on medium heat, add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add the diced onion. Cook the onion until softened.
Add the ground meat to the onion and cook until browned. Once the meat is cooked drain any excess oil and place half of the ground beef in a medium bowl and keep the other half in the pan for the meat sauce. About a pound each.
For the meat in the bowl season with salt, pepper, onion powder, basil leaves, oregano leaves, and minced garlic. Allow the meat to cool before adding the ricotta cheese.
Once cooled add the ricotta cheese, fresh basil, dried oregano, and ½ cup of Parmesan Cheese and stir until combined. Take a heaping spoonful of the ricotta mixture and fill it with each shell. Place the filled shells in a 9X13 baking dish.
For the other half of the ground meat, add the pasta sauce and add a little salt and pepper to taste.
Take the pasta sauce and pour it over the pasta shells. Sprinkle another ½ cup of Parmesan cheese on top of the shells and then the fresh mozzarella cheese. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and serve. Top with fresh parsley.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Category: Main Dish
Method: Cook
Cuisine: Italian