Today, let’s get into the kitchen with a recipe that smells like home: baked stuffed shells with meat sauce and mozzarella. It’s a rich, creamy dish perfect for family Sundays or to impress guests with something special.
We start with the classic homemade meat sauce, prepared with a sauté of celery, carrot, and onion. When the vegetables are well sautéed, I add the ground meat and let it cook until it gets color. Then I add the tomato sauce and let it simmer slowly until the sauce becomes thick and flavorful.
Meanwhile, I cook the shells in salted water, drain them al dente, and let them cool. I put a spoonful of sauce at the bottom of the baking dish, then fill each shell with the sauce and some cubes of mozzarella, which melt in the oven and make everything super stringy.
Finally, I cover with some sauce, a sprinkle of cheese, and put it in the oven. The result? A creamy baked pasta dish with a soft and flavorful heart that captivates at the first bite.
A simple recipe, but one that speaks of love and tradition.💕
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 5 Minutes
- Preparation time: 2 Hours
- Cooking methods: Stove, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons, Christmas
Ingredients
BAKED STUFFED SHELLS WITH MEAT SAUCE
- 12.3 oz ground beef
- 3 cups tomato sauce
- 2 carrots
- 1 shallot
- 1 celery stalk
- to taste water
- 7.1 oz mozzarella
- 25 pasta shells
- to taste parmesan cheese
Tools
BAKED STUFFED SHELLS WITH MEAT SAUCE
- 1 Baking Dish baking dish
- 1 Knife knives
- 1 Air Fryer air fryer
- 1 Oven oven
Steps
Prepare the meat sauce: finely chop celery, carrot, and onion. Sauté everything in a drizzle of oil and add the ground meat, cooking until it’s well browned.
Pour in the tomato sauce, adjust salt and pepper, and let it cook on low heat with the lid ajar for at least 1 hour, until the sauce is thick.
Cook the shells in salted water and drain them al dente.
Cut the mozzarella into cubes and stuff: fill each shell with the meat sauce and some cubes of mozzarella.
Pour a few spoonfuls of sauce on the bottom of the baking dish and arrange all the shells without overlapping.
Add more sauce and mozzarella between each shell, sprinkle with parmesan, and bake.
Bake at 356°F for about 20 minutes, until the surface is golden and the cheese is melted.
Let it rest for 5 minutes and… the baked stuffed shells with meat sauce are ready!
✨Tips
Choose large shells: the larger they are, the easier they are to fill, and the more scenic the result will be.
Cook them al dente: so they won’t break when you stuff them, and they’ll finish cooking in the oven without getting mushy.
The meat sauce must be thick: if it’s too liquid, it will slip out of the shells. Let it cook slowly until it becomes thick.
Small mozzarella cubes: they melt better and create that stringy center that makes the dish irresistible.
A spoonful of sauce on the bottom of the dish: prevents the pasta from sticking and adds flavor to the base.
Cover with sauce and cheese: a generous sprinkle of parmesan or grana will make the surface golden and crunchy.
Let it rest for 5 minutes after cooking: this way, the flavors stabilize, and it will be easier to serve.
