Description
Delicious stuffed jumbo pasta shells filled with a savory ricotta and spinach mixture, baked with a hearty homemade meat sauce of Italian sausage, ground beef, and bell peppers, then topped with melted mozzarella cheese. A perfect comforting Italian-American casserole for family dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat Sauce
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 3/4 pound ground Italian sausage (or up to 1 pound)
- 3/4 pound ground beef (or up to 1 pound)
- 24 ounces marinara sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Filling
- 32 ounces ricotta cheese
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup cooked spinach, drained and chopped
- ¼ cup mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Pasta and Topping
- 1 box jumbo shells
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese
- Fresh parsley, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to get it ready for baking the stuffed shells.
- Cook Pasta: Prepare the jumbo shells according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain them carefully and set aside to cool slightly for filling.
- Make Meat Sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced red and green bell peppers and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Then add the ground Italian sausage and ground beef, cooking until browned and cooked through, breaking up the meat as it cooks.
- Add Sauce and Seasoning: Pour in the marinara sauce and stir everything until well combined and smooth. Season the sauce with garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Prepare Filling: In a large mixing bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, drained chopped cooked spinach, eggs, mozzarella cheese, shredded Parmesan, garlic powder, and kosher salt. Mix thoroughly until the mixture is smooth and well blended.
- Stuff Shells: Fill each cooked jumbo shell generously with the ricotta and spinach mixture, packing them carefully to hold the filling well.
- Assemble in Skillet: Take a large 13-inch oven-safe skillet or baking dish and spoon two large spoonfuls of the meat sauce onto the bottom to prevent sticking. Arrange the stuffed shells in a ring on top of this sauce base.
- Add Sauce and Bake: Pour the remaining meat sauce evenly over the arranged stuffed shells. Place the skillet in the preheated oven and bake at 350°F for 20 minutes.
- Add Cheese and Continue Baking: After 20 minutes, remove the skillet from the oven and fully cover the shells with 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese. Increase the oven temperature to 375°F and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Optional Broil: For a golden bubbly cheese topping, broil the dish for 1-3 minutes at the end, watching carefully to avoid burning.
- Serve: Garnish the stuffed shells with fresh parsley and serve warm for a satisfying meal.
Notes
- Storage: Store any leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat covered in the oven at 350°F until warmed through to maintain texture and flavor.
- You can substitute ground turkey or chicken for a lighter meat sauce variation.
- Make sure to drain spinach well to avoid watery filling.
- If using frozen spinach, thaw completely and squeeze out excess liquid before adding.
Keywords: stuffed shells, ricotta, meat sauce, baked pasta, Italian recipe, comfort food, Italian sausage, jumbo shells