This Stuffed Shells recipe is a family favorite recipe! Large pasta shells are stuffed with a flavorful meat mixture and baked with a rich tomato sauce. 

Looking for more delicious Italian-style dinner ideas? I think you’ll love my Lasagna, Spaghetti Sauce, Baked Ziti, and also my Pasta Fagioli. Yum!

Photo of stuffed shells in a baking dish ready to be served.

This Stuffed Shells recipe makes the perfect savory and satisfying meal! These large pasta shells are stuffed full of a delicious meaty and cheesy mixture that has the most incredible flavor! I love to have them assembled ahead of time so I can pop them into the oven for an easy supper.

How to Make Stuffed Shells Recipe

Ingredients

Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.

Ingredients used to make stuffed shells recipe

These are the key ingredients you’ll use to make these delicious stuffed shells.

  • Shell pasta – I prefer to use large shell pasta in this recipe. I have found that they are easier to stuff with the filling than medium or smaller shells. I also like them to easily portion servings based on the meal.
  • Ground beef – Makes for a hearty meal. I have also included alternatives under substitutions and additions below that you may enjoy.
  • Tomatoes – I use a mixture of crushed tomatoes and tomato paste to make the sauce for this recipe. Together with the seasonings, the sauce is rich and flavorful.
  • Seasonings: basil and oregano
  • Cheeses – three different kinds of cheese go into the filling of these shells: cream cheese, Parmesan, and mozzarella.

Substitutions and Additions

  • Meat – Substitute with ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground venison based on your preference, or simply omit the meat completely if you prefer. You can also add sliced mushrooms or use them as a substitute for the meat in this recipe.
  • Seasonings – Use Italian Seasoning in place of the oregano and basil. Chopped fresh parsley is also delicious sprinkled on top of the dish when serving.
  • Cheeses – You can use ricotta or cottage cheese instead of cream cheese.
  • Yogurt – Use sour cream in place of the yogurt.
  • Tomato Sauce – You can also use my delicious marinara sauce recipe or if you need a quick and easy substitute for homemade sauce, use your favorite store-bought marinara sauce.
  • Spinach – Add spinach to the filling mixture.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Photo of cooked pasta shells in a pot.

Cook pasta shells to al dente according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.

Photo of ground beef, onions and garlic cooking in skillet.

Cook vegetables and meat. Cook the onion and garlic until tender, about 3 minutes. Add and brown ground beef. Drain away any drippings.

Photo of cooked ground beef with cheeses and sour cream in skillet.

Make the filling. Stir the cheeses and yogurt into the beef mixture.

Photo of tomato sauce for stuffed shells.

Make the sauce. Meanwhile, add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and seasonings to a saucepan and cook until heated throughout.

Photo of stuffed shells on tomato sauce in baking dish.

Assemble. Spread 1 cup of the tomato sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Spoon the filling mixture into each of the cooked pasta shells. Arrange in the baking dish.

Image of stuffed shells ready to be baked.

Add sauce and bake. Top each of the shells with the remaining tomato sauce. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes; remove the foil and bake for 10 more minutes.

Photo of baked stuffed shells ready to serve.

Serve. Stuffed shells are ready to serve or cool and store for serving later if making ahead. We love to serve this with our favorite house salad. It is so delicious!

Photo of shells stuffed with beef, cheese and cooked in rich tomato sauce.

Storage Tips

To make ahead (unbaked). Assemble the stuffed shells without baking. Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator overnight for up to 2 days. When ready to serve, remove from the refrigerator as the oven preheats. Bake as directed; you may need to add about 10 minutes to the baking time since the stuffed shells will be baking from cold rather than warm.

To make ahead (baked). Cool and cover tightly. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Remove from the refrigerator and reheat in the oven or in the microwave until warm throughout.

To freeze (unbaked). Assemble the stuffed shells in a freezer-safe baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bake as you would for the make-ahead unbaked directions.

To freeze (baked). Bake in a freezer-safe baking dish. Allow to cool and then wrap tightly with foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat in the oven or microwave until heated throughout.

Photo of baked stuffed shells recipe.

I think you’ll love these simple stuffed shells, too!

Stuffed Shells Recipe

5 from 2 votes
Stuffed shells makes a simple, delicious, and comforting recipe. Large pasta shells are stuffed with a flavorful meat mixture and then baked with a rich tomato sauce.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 8

Equipment

Ingredients 

  • 12 large shell pasta
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 pound ground beef, or ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground venison
  • 2 teaspoons dried basil
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 (6-ounce) cans tomato paste
  • 1 cup Greek yogurt, or sour cream
  • 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, or Ricotta cheese or cottage cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Instructions 

  • Prep. Preheat oven to 350º F. Spread 1 teaspoon of olive oil on 9×13 baking dish. Set aside.
  • Cook shells. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain shells from water.
    Photo of cooked pasta shells in a pot.
  • Make the filling. Add olive oil to a large Dutch oven or deep skillet. Add onion and garlic and cook until translucent and tender, about 3 minutes. Add ground beef and cook until ground beef is cooked thoroughly. Drain away any excess drippings. Stir in Greek yogurt, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, and mozzarella cheese.
    Photo of stuffed shells filling.
  • Make the tomato sauce. In another saucepan, stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, basil and oregano and cook until heated through, about 10 minutes. Remove from the stove and ladle about 1 cup of mixture into the bottom of baking dish.
    Photo of tomato sauce for stuffed shells.
  • Assemble and bake. Spoon beef mixture into shells and place into baking dish. Ladle remaining tomato sauce over stuffed shells, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.
    Photo of baked stuffed shells ready to serve.

Notes

Make ahead and Freezer Instructions:

To make ahead (unbaked). Assemble the stuffed shells without baking. Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator overnight for up to 2 days. When ready to serve, remove from the refrigerator as the oven preheats. Bake as directed; you may need to add about 10 minutes to the baking time since the stuffed shells will be baking from cold rather than warm.
To make ahead (baked). Cool and cover tightly. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Remove from the refrigerator and reheat in the oven or in the microwave until warm throughout.
To freeze (unbaked). Assemble the stuffed shells in a freezer-safe baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bake as you would for the make-ahead unbaked directions.
To freeze (baked). Bake in a freezer-safe baking dish. Allow to cool and then wrap tightly with foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat in the oven or microwave until heated throughout.

Nutrition

Calories: 410kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 820mg | Potassium: 737mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 259IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 349mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Enjoy!
Robyn xo

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About Robyn

Robyn Stone is a cookbook author, wife, mom, and passionate home cook. Her tested and trusted recipes give readers the confidence to cook recipes the whole family will love. Robyn has been featured on Food Network, People, Southern Living, and more.

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Recipe Review




17 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This recipe makes a delicious dish. The instructions are very easy to follow. Robyn, you are right to add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pasta water. The instructions on the pasta box don’t mention this. I was excited to make this dish, and as usual, Robyn did not disappoint. I’m so glad I found your site. I always trust your recipes.

    1. I meant to add that I was a tad concerned about adding the stuffing to the shells. I drained the shells open side down on a plate covered with a paper towel. The shells were very easy to stuff. No problem at all.

    2. That’s great to hear, Cindi! So glad you found them easy to make! Thanks!

    3. Last comment, I promise. I used cream cheese with jalapenos which gave the dish a little kick.

  2. Looks fantastic like most of Robin’s recipes. Can’t wait to make it. On another note, am I the only guy following Robin 😀

    1. Hi Bill,
      Love this comment! I hope you enjoy these Stuffed Shells! I answer a lot of comments from other guys, so I hope they like the recipes too. I am excited to have you here and hope you find many recipes to enjoy! Thanks so much! 🙂

    2. Hi Robin.
      ..made these last night and they were incredible. I added leftover spinich to the meat mixture and mushrooms to the sauce. Fantastic!

      Thanks Robin

  3. 5 stars
    It has been years since I have had stuffed shells. Your recipe sounds easy and good enough that I wil l make these this coming weekend.

    1. I can’t wait for you to try them, Alice! So easy and so delicious – I hope you enjoy them! xo

  4. I make something similar, except I do not cook the shells. They are so much easier to stuff uncooked, with no risk of tearing. I nust add a little water to the sauce, making it thinner. The extra sauce gets absorbed cooking the shells, with extra to pour over shels on your plate!

  5. I think I might try this but with less cheese and some chopped veggies like mushrooms, small chopped zucchini, and shredded carrot. Maybe use reduced fat cream cheese? I am trying to watch the “waist”

  6. Hi Robyn,
    This looks delicious, thanks for sharing it! I see that it’s tagged in freezer meals, have you had good luck freezing it? Do you recommend freezing before baking? Thanks so much!