Giant Stuffed Pasta Shells with meat

Giant Stuffed Pasta Shells with meat

Craving a hearty Italian hug in dish form? Dive into these Giant Cheese-Stuffed Shells, a cherished recipe that transforms simple jumbo pasta into a cheesy, meaty masterpiece. Packed with savory Italian sausage and ground beef, melty mozzarella, and aromatic herbs, then blanketed in marinara and baked bubbly—it's make-ahead magic perfect for family dinners. Pair with crusty bread and a crisp salad for pure comfort bliss!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword baked stuffed shells, stuffed pasta, stuffed shells, Stuffed Shells with ground meat, Stuffed Shells with meat and cheese

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 35

Total Time 1 5

Servings

Calories 640kcal

Author Evelyn Osborn

Equipment

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1 pound Italian Sausage bulk or links
1 ½ pounds mozzarella cheese grated
1 large onion chopped
4 cloves fresh garlic minced
3 Tablespoons oregano dried
3 Tablespoons basil dried
¼ cup parsley dried
1 quart pasta sauce
1 16 ounce box jumbo pasta shells

Instructions

Cook the jumbo shells in salted boiling water 1–2 minutes shy of package directions (they’ll finish cooking in the oven). Drain, rinse briefly with cool water, and keep moist so they don’t stick.
While shells cook, brown the sausage (remove casings if using links) and ground beef in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Break it up as it cooks.
Add onion and garlic; cook until onion is soft and translucent. Season with salt and pepper. Drain excess fat.
Transfer meat mixture to a large bowl. Stir in oregano, basil, parsley, 4 cups of the shredded mozzarella, and 1 cup of marinara sauce. Mix until cheese melts and everything is creamy and combined.
Spread 1 cup marinara sauce over the bottom of a 13×9-inch baking dish.
When shells are cool enough to handle, stuff each one generously with the meat-cheese filling and nestle them into the sauced dish.
Pour the remaining marinara over the stuffed shells, making sure every shell gets coated. Sprinkle the reserved 2 cups of mozzarella evenly on top.
Cover with foil and bake at 300°F for 35 minutes, until bubbly and cheese is melted. Remove foil for the last 5–10 minutes if you want a golden top.
Let rest 5 minutes, then sprinkle with extra parsley (fresh or dried) and serve hot. Dinner is officially legendary!

Nutrition