Meatball ricotta stuffed shells are a delicious and hearty meal that is perfect for a special occasion or a family dinner. This classic Italian dish is made with large pasta shells that are stuffed with a mixture of ground beef, ricotta cheese, and spices, then baked in a tomato sauce. The result is a flavorful and satisfying dish that will be sure to please everyone at the table. If you are looking for a delicious and easy-to-make recipe for meatball ricotta stuffed shells, then you have come to the right place. In this article, we will provide you with all the information you need to make this dish at home, including a step-by-step recipe and tips for making the perfect stuffed shells.
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RICOTTA-FILLED MEATBALLS
Basic meatballs become dinner party fare when stuffed with rich, creamy ricotta cheese in this recipe from Apizz chef John LaFemina.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Ingredients Meat & Poultry Beef Recipes Ground Beef Recipes
Number Of Ingredients 19
Steps:
- Make the meatballs: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Run bread under water and gently squeeze out excess liquid. Transfer bread to a large bowl and add veal, beef, pork, egg, onion, parsley, basil, cheese, and oregano; season with salt. Using your hands, mix until well combined. Divide mixture into 8 equal portions and roll each portion into a large round meatball. Place meatballs in a large baking dish.
- In a large bowl, combine tomato sauce and two cups of water. Spoon tomato sauce mixture over meatballs until liquid comes three-quarters of the way up the meatballs, adding more water if necessary. Cover baking dish with parchment paper-lined aluminum foil and transfer to oven. Bake meatballs for 1 hour, rotating dish after 30 minutes.
- Make the stuffing: In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients. Transfer cheese mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a large plain round tip; set aside.
- Remove meatballs from baking dish and discard liquid. Using an apple corer or small knife, cut out a 1/2-inch hole in the bottom of each meatball; fill hole with cheese mixture and transfer meatballs to a large baking dish, hole side up.
- Serve: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spoon tomato sauce evenly over meatballs and transfer to oven. Bake until heated through, 10 to 15 minutes. Top each meatball with a tablespoon of ricotta cheese (it should look like it is oozing from the center) and sprinkle with Parmigiano; return to oven and heat for 3 minutes. Serve immediately.
CHEF JOHN'S RICOTTA MEATBALLS
Ricotta-spiked meatballs are so tender, so flavorful, and so delicious. There are hardly any ingredients. Of course we're going to throw this over some spaghetti, because we're Americans and that's what we do with meatballs.
Provided by Chef John
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Italian
Time 1h
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Saute onion in 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir garlic into onion and turn off heat. Transfer onion mixture to a large mixing bowl.
- Stir ground beef, ricotta cheese, parsley, egg, kosher salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper with onion mixture until almost combined; stir in bread crumbs and continue to mix until thoroughly blended.
- Roll about 2 tablespoons of mixture into a 1-inch ball for each meatball. Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil in same skillet used to cook onions. Place skillet over medium heat and brown meatballs on all sides in hot oil, about 5 minutes. Hold a crumpled paper towel in a tongs and use it to remove excess grease from skillet.
- Pour marinara sauce and water over meatballs in skillet. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until meatballs are cooked through and no longer pink in the center, about 30 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 331.1 calories, Carbohydrate 18.9 g, Cholesterol 75.3 mg, Fat 20.9 g, Fiber 3 g, Protein 16.3 g, SaturatedFat 7 g, Sodium 864.6 mg, Sugar 9.4 g
STUFFED SHELLS III
This recipe is a hit wherever you go. It is a very rich and cheesy meal and looks like a deep-dish pizza when done. I altered what I was originally given because I did not like cottage cheese and added other ingredients that I thought it deserved.
Provided by Renee
Categories Main Dish Recipes Stuffed Main Dish Recipes
Time 1h30m
Yield 10
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
- In a large bowl, mix eggs, ricotta, half the mozzarella, half the Parmesan, parsley, salt and pepper until well combined. Stuff cooked shells with ricotta mixture and place in a 9x13 inch baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, stir together pasta sauce, mushrooms and reserved mozzarella and Parmesan. Pour over stuffed shells.
- Bake in preheated oven 45 to 60 minutes, until edges are bubbly and shells are slightly set.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 549.7 calories, Carbohydrate 43.7 g, Cholesterol 115.6 mg, Fat 24.5 g, Fiber 3.4 g, Protein 37.7 g, SaturatedFat 13.9 g, Sodium 1544.2 mg, Sugar 9.3 g
MEATBALL STUFFED SHELL PASTA RECIPE BY TASTY
Here's what you need: ground beef, ground pork, panko breadcrumbs, dried minced onion, grated parmesan cheese, garlic, fresh parsley, large eggs, kosher salt, pepper, ricotta cheese, fresh basil, fresh parsley, grated parmesan cheese, salt, jumbo pasta shell, marinara sauce, parmesan cheese, fresh basil
Provided by Rie McClenny
Categories Dinner
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 19
Steps:
- In a medium bowl, mix together the beef, pork, bread crumbs, onion, Parmesan cheese, garlic, parsley, eggs, salt, and pepper until just combined.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Take a walnut-sized portion of the meat mixture and roll into a ball. Repeat with remaining meat and transfer to an oiled wire rack set over a baking sheet.
- Bake the meatballs for 10 minutes, until golden brown.
- Make the ricotta-herb mixture: combine the ricotta cheese, basil, parsley, Parmesan cheese, and salt in a medium bowl and mix well.
- Stuff a tablespoon of ricotta mixture into a jumbo shells, then stuff a meatball into the shells.
- Spread the marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch (23x33-cm) casserole dish, then lay in the stuffed shells. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.
- Bake for 10 minutes, until the marinara sauce is warm.
- Top with chopped basil.
- Enjoy!
RICOTTA-STUFFED SHELLS WITH PESTO
Classic stuffed and baked Italian-American jumbo shells are an easy sell. This summery version dispenses with the tomato sauce: The shells are instead drizzled lightly with olive oil, dusted with grated pecorino and bread crumbs, baked briefly until nicely browned, then napped with a bright green garlicky pesto sauce. The effect is more akin to crispy ravioli than a juicy, long-baked casserole. Serve 2 or 3 shells as a first course, 5 to 6 for a main.
Provided by David Tanis
Categories casseroles, pastas, main course
Time 1h30m
Yield 6 to 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- Put a large pot of well-salted water over high heat, and bring to a boil. Add the pasta shells, put the lid on the pot to help water return to a boil, then remove lid, stir pasta and continue cooking, uncovered until al dente, usually abut 10 minutes. (It's better to err on the undercooked side than risk flabby pasta, so check early and often.)
- Remove pasta from pot and cool in a large bowl of water. Drain well and spread cooked shells on a baking sheet lined with a kitchen towel.
- Meanwhile, make the ricotta filling: In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta, eggs, scallions, parsley, thyme, lemon zest and juice, and crushed red pepper to taste. Add grated Parmesan and pecorino. Season well with salt and pepper and mix well to incorporate ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Heat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil a large shallow baking dish (use 2 dishes if necessary). Using a spoon or pastry bag, put about 1 tablespoon ricotta mixture into each pasta shell. Arrange the filled shells in one layer in the baking dish, packed closely together. Drizzle surface lightly with olive oil, or use a small brush to lightly paint each shell.
- Sprinkle top with 1/4 cup pecorino and bread crumbs and bake, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, until heated through, crisp and golden brown.
- To make the pesto, pulse basil, parsley, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a blender or food processor until roughly chopped. Add oil slowly and blend well. Add a little pepper, taste and adjust seasoning and transfer to a serving bowl.
- To serve, drizzle shells with a little pesto sauce and pass the rest at the table.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 706, UnsaturatedFat 30 grams, Carbohydrate 53 grams, Fat 45 grams, Fiber 3 grams, Protein 23 grams, SaturatedFat 13 grams, Sodium 524 milligrams, Sugar 3 grams, TransFat 0 grams
MEATBALL & RICOTTA STUFFED SHELLS
This dish is really easy to make, and my husband and three year old son love it. I used turkey meatballs, but you can use any type of meatball for this recipe. A salad would make a great side dish!
Provided by Faith T
Categories Pasta Shells
Time 35m
Yield 12 stuffed shells, 4-6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Spray a 9x13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Boil the jumbo pasta shells according to the package directions.
- Drain and rinse shells with cool water.
- Add one spoonful of ricotta cheese and then one meatball to each shell.
- Place the stuffed shells in the baking pan.
- Top each shell with a spoonful of marinara sauce and a few shreds of mozzarella cheese.
- Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.
SPINACH-RICOTTA STUFFED SHELLS
Jumbo pasta shells stuffed with ricotta cheese and baked in tomato sauce is a comforting classic. For this version, add in loads of cooked greens to the filling to add a fresh and colorful vegetable component, without skimping on the oozy cheese.
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Categories main-dish
Time 1h30m
Yield 8 to 10 servings
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large wide pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, oregano, red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring, until thickened, 15 to 20 minutes; season with salt. (You should have about 4 heaping cups of sauce.)
- Make the stuffed shells: Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta shells and cook as the label directs for baking, about 9 minutes. Rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Spread out on a baking sheet.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the spinach and cook, tossing occasionally, until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to a large plate lined with a kitchen towel. Squeeze to remove any excess liquid, then finely chop.
- Put the spinach in a large bowl and add the ricotta, mozzarella, parsley, Parmesan, lemon zest, beaten egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Stir until combined.
- To assemble, spread about half of the sauce in the bottom of a 10-by-14-inch baking dish. Evenly fill the shells with the spinach-ricotta mixture using a spoon, or pipe it in using a pastry bag. Arrange the shells side by side, open-side up, in the baking dish on top of the sauce, then top with the remaining sauce.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake until heated through and the sauce is simmering around the edges, about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until any shells or cheese poking through the sauce are lightly browned in spots, about 10 more minutes. Let sit 10 minutes. Top with more Parmesan and red pepper flakes.
RICOTTA STUFFED SHELLS
My version of cheesy stuffed shells. I read a few recipes online, (www.cooks.com as well as recipezaar.com) then used a "frankenstein" technique to make them just like my mom does. I made my sauce kinda plain, I'm pregnant and not much for chunky stuff right now. When I'm not so picky, I will add zucchini and chunky stewed tomato. It fed 4 hungry adults and a two year old with about one portion of left overs so I would say it could comfortably feed five adults. As a side note, the sauce is a really great marinara, I have used it for meatball subs too!
Provided by Faitherbee
Categories Pasta Shells
Time 1h30m
Yield 4-6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- For Shells: Boil according to directions on the box. Drain, rinse with cold water. Set them aside.
- For Sauce: Simmer the onion and garlic together in olive oil. When they are golden, add in the tomato and then spices. Cook for 15 minutes.
- For Filling: Add all filling ingredients together in a bowl and mix well.
- Pour half your sauce evenly into the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan. Stuff your closed, undamaged noodles and arrange them in one layer over the pan, opening side down. Pour the rest of the sauce over the top of your noodles, then sprinkle with grated parmesan. Bake covered for 45 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 646.4, Fat 24.5, SaturatedFat 10.8, Cholesterol 108.1, Sodium 860.1, Carbohydrate 78.2, Fiber 4.6, Sugar 9.2, Protein 28.5
MEATBALL-STUFFED SHELLS
Take a different approach to spaghetti and meatballs and try our Meatball-Stuffed Shells instead! These stuffed shells are sure to change the game when it comes to pasta. Enjoy the delicious flavors of these Meatball-Stuffed Shells for mealtime.
Provided by My Food and Family
Categories Spring 2019
Time 40m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Heat oven to 400°F.
- Spread half the pasta sauce onto bottom of 8-inch square baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.
- Combine ricotta, Parmesan, Italian seasoning and 1/2 cup mozzarella; spoon into pasta shells.
- Add 2 meatballs to filling in each shell; place, filled sides up, in prepared baking dish. Top with remaining pasta sauce; cover.
- Bake 25 min. or until heated through. Top with remaining mozzarella; bake, uncovered, 3 to 5 min. or until melted. Sprinkle with parsley.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 690, Fat 38 g, SaturatedFat 17 g, TransFat 0 g, Cholesterol 50 mg, Sodium 1300 mg, Carbohydrate 41 g, Fiber 5 g, Sugar 7 g, Protein 39 g
Tips:
- Use a large pot to cook the pasta shells, as they will expand during cooking.
- Be careful not to overcook the pasta shells, as they can become mushy.
- To make the ricotta filling, use a fine-mesh strainer to drain the ricotta cheese. This will help to remove any excess moisture.
- If you are using frozen meatballs, be sure to thaw them completely before cooking.
- To prevent the meatballs from drying out, cook them in a covered skillet over low heat.
- When stuffing the pasta shells, be sure to leave a little room at the top so that the filling can expand during baking.
- To prevent the pasta shells from sticking together, coat them with a little olive oil before baking.
- Bake the stuffed pasta shells in a preheated oven until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Let the stuffed pasta shells cool for a few minutes before serving.
Conclusion:
Meatball ricotta stuffed shells are a delicious and easy-to-make meal that is perfect for a weeknight dinner or a special occasion. With a few simple ingredients and a little time, you can create a dish that your family and friends will love. So next time you are looking for a new and exciting recipe to try, give these stuffed pasta shells a try. You won't be disappointed!
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