Lasagna Stuffed Shells are large shell noodles stuffed with a cheesy ricotta and red sauce filling. Double the recipe to make an extra freezer meal!
I love the colder weather months that allow us to enjoy some of our comfort food favorites, like these Lasagna Stuffed Shells. These are a family favorite, and a great meal to prep ahead or even freeze!
How to make Lasagna Stuffed Shells:
- In a large skillet over medium high heat brown the beef and sausage. Remove grease. (Optional: Add meat to a food processor and pulse 2-3 times until the meat is crumbled really small. Return to pan.) Season with salt and pepper. Add garlic and onions and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, water and Italian seasoning. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Taste sauce and more salt and pepper, Italian seasoning or garlic powder, if needed.
- Meanwhile, cook the jumbo pasta shells according to package instructions, until al-dente. Drain from water and lay out on a large baking sheet to cool, so they don’t stick together.
- Add the ricotta cheese, egg, 1 cup mozzarella, and ⅓ cup parmesan cheese to a large mixing bowl and mix well to combine.
- Spread 1 cup of the meat sauce into the bottom of a 9×13” pan. Stuff each cooked shell with a small spoonful of ricotta mixture, then a spoonful of meat mixture and set them face up in a large baking dish.
- Spoon the remaining red sauce over the top of all of the stuffed shells. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
Make ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: Assemble the entire dish, cover and store in the fridge until ready to bake.
To Freeze: Lasagna stuffed shells makes for an excellent freezer meal. Assemble the dish following the recipe directions but don’t bake. Consider using a disposable container or aluminum pan. Once the meal is assembled, cover it with a layer of plastic wrap and then a double layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight, remove plastic wrap, cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes covered, then 15 minutes uncovered.
Serve Stuffed Shells with:
- Green Salad
- Breadsticks or Easy Artisan Bread
- Fruit Bowl
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Recipe
Lasagna Stuffed Shells
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 ounce box Jumbo pasta shells (about 24 shells)
- 1/2 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground sausage , jimmy deans
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3-4 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 onion , chopped
- 16 ounces tomato sauce
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes , undrained
- 1/2 cup water
- 2-3 teaspoons Italian seasonings , to taste
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese , divided
- 2/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese , divided
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium high heat brown the beef and sausage. Remove grease. Add meat to a food processor and pulse 2-3 times until the meat is crumbled really small. Return to pan. Season with salt and pepper. Add garlic and onions and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, water and Italian seasoning. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Taste sauce and more salt and pepper, Italian seasoning or garlic powder, if needed.
- Meanwhile, cook the jumbo pasta shells according to package instructions, until al-dente. Drain from water and lay out on a large baking sheet to cool, so that they don't stick together.
- Add the ricotta cheese, egg, 1 cup mozzarella, and ⅓ cup parmesan cheese to a large mixing bowl and mix well to combine.
- Spread 1 cup of the meat sauce into the bottom of a 9x13'' pan. Stuff each cooked shell with a small spoonful of ricotta mixture, then a spoonful of meat mixture and set them face up in a large baking dish.
- Spoon the remaining red sauce over the top of all of the stuffed shells. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
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I originally shared this recipe December 2015. Updated December 20202.
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Really, really good. There are a few tweaks I will make in the future, but a very nice, fairly quick, recipe. Not pasta-heavy, which was delightful, and the fact that there was actually enough cheese filling was a pleasant surprise (I’m a WI girl, what can I say). Thank you!
I made this dish for a pot luck dinner. It was completely gone in minutes. Many friends wanted the recipe. It is time consuming but easy.
This is an amazing recipe, but I save it for special occasions because it takes a long time to make and uses a ton of pots, pans, and cooking utensils. Everyone absolutely raves about it, and I make it exactly as it is written. Turns out perfect every time. Just made a double recipe for a coworker who has a newborn and my family and served it with baguette bread, a bag of Caesar salad, and brownies. Excellent!
This is a good idea. Looks great too. I think you should amend your recipe. prep time is more like 35-45 min…impossible to prep for oven in 15mins…also cost for 24 shells prepared is more like $15…not $6…$1.50/shells, $4.00/meat, 4.00/ tomaoes, onion, seasoning, $6.50/cheese
My pkg of shells had a lasagne recipe, but theirs said boil shells for only 3min then let cool and stuff, and cover tightly with foil before cooking. Different temp and less time to cook. Anyway I tried it that way the 2nd time because when I cooked the shells until al dente, they were way too flimsy and difficult to fill. Just a suggestion if anyone has that same issue. Love this recipe, but I’ve realized there simply is no shortcut to make lasagne…this is just about the same amount of work. I do like the pasta to sauce ratio of the shells a lot more than the traditional 3 layers of noodles (not enough pasta IMO).
Another excellent, easy to make meal. This was my fourth and each one as good as the next.
Thank you for these meal plans.
Absolutely LOVE every recipe I’ve made from TBFS!
Through this site, I’ve learned how much better food is when made from scratch…. Thank you for helping to launch my love of cooking & baking! 😘
Hubby loathes both ricotta & cottage cheese, so your Traditional lasagne with bechemel white sauce is now his favorite!
Question: Can I incorporate that bechamel white sauce into this recipe too? If so, would I mix with an egg & still layer the shell in the same order & spoon the “white” creamy (no ricotta) layer first? This idea may be way outside of the 9 dots, but thought I’d ask 🤷♀️ Thank you again!
Thanks so much for kind comment; i’m thrilled to have been a small part of your cooking journey.
You could definitely do that. As you know, that recipe makes a lot of bechemel sauce. i would half it and substitute cup for cup with the ricotta. You don’t need the egg.
Entire family loved it, including picky kids.
You are my first go-to recipe person! Everything I’ve made of yours has been great! Tonight my husband said that this dish was better than anything you can get at an Italian restaurant! I would have to agree. It’s incredible! It is a bit of work to get it all assembled, but easy. Next time I make this I will do a double batch and make one for the freezer or for a friend.