Cheesy Stuffed Pasta Shells (with Ground Beef)

By The Cooking Foodie · 60 min

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Boil the pasta shells in salted water until al dente, following the package time. Drain and spread them on a tray so they cool without sticking.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion for 6–7 minutes until soft and golden, then stir in the garlic and cook 1–2 minutes more.
3. Turn the heat to high and brown the ground beef (or beef and sausage), breaking it up as it cooks.
4. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add the tomato sauce, water, salt, pepper, paprika, oregano, basil and chili flakes. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 15–20 minutes until thickened.
5. Take the pan off the heat and let the filling cool slightly. Stir in the ricotta, half the mozzarella and the Parmesan until combined.
6. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Spread a thin layer of the tomato sauce from the topping portion in the bottom of a 9x13-inch (23x33 cm) baking dish, or a similar-sized round or 12-inch (30 cm) pan.
7. Fill each shell with 1½–2 tablespoons of the beef mixture and arrange them snugly in the dish.
8. Mix the remaining tomato sauce with salt and pepper and spoon it over the shells. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella.
9. Cover loosely with foil and bake 25–30 minutes. Uncover and bake 8–10 minutes more, until the cheese is melted and slightly golden.

Summarized from The Cooking Foodie's video. Watch it for the details.

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GarlicOnionCheeseParmesan cheeseMozzarella cheeseTomato pasteGround beefTomato sauce