This stuffed shells recipe uses only 5 ingredients and is incredibly easy to make. This simple dinner will have your guest begging for seconds!
Okay, so I owe you some vacation photos. I can explain.
I fell asleep.
Seriously.
I was really tired.
Here's the deal, I was feeling really good for a couple of days so I wanted to take advantage of that. So I did some spring cleaning (yah, its fall, whatevs!), then went outside and spent the better part of 2 days gardening. I trimmed bushes and cleaned up the yard. This would be no big whoop de do, except I had just had the flu shot in one arm, a tetanus shot and blood drawn from the other. So needless to say I've now crashed and burned. My arms feel like dead weight, and my back is freaking killing me. But the house is spotless and the yard is looking much beter. I figure when hubs is out-of-town for work I have to be in overdrive anyway so I just took it a wee bit too far. He got home tonight so my goal for tomorrow is to...work from bed...nap...work...nap...watch reality shows...nap. I make dang good plans don't I!
So today I have a wonderful Sunday Supper recipe for you. This was a cool challenge. The theme is "dishes in 5 ingredients or less". You know I love me some spice, and fancy sugars and sauces, so this was going out on a limb for me. I figured since I was going out on a limb I may as well scoot all the way to the edge of the branch. There are lots of recipes that are easy to do in under 5, but I wanted to do something that would be challenging. So I chose stuffed pasta. Yes, I am a lunatic. That was determined long ago.
I had to tweak my recipe a bit. I left out the egg, which frankly worried me. I was concerned the mixture wouldn't bind together properly. I had to find a way to get the taste up to par so I used store-bought sauce. It was the only way to get the sauce to have enough flavour without going over 5 ingredients. I used Classico Sauce which was pricey but pretty darn good. A little watery for my taste, but overall a good sauce. We're not huge ricotta fans so while I did use it, I also added oodles of mozzarella to it. So if you are on a diet please don't make this. You'll just come back here and gripe about the 5 pounds you gained after eating this. Then you'll want me to feel bad, and I'll be all "dude I freaking warned ya", then you'll be all mad and demanding I buy you new pants cuz you busted your zipper open. Then I'll be all "dude, maybe it was the 4 cookies you ate after dinner that pushed the zipper over the edge". Then you'll get offended and walk off in a huff. So let's just avoid all that drama and be clear...THIS IS NOT DIET FOOD! M'kay.
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Easy Stuffed Shells Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 box of Jumbo Shell Pasta
- 2 cans of Pasta Sauce I used Classico Roasted Garlic and Onion
- 1 tub of Ricotta Cheese
- 5 cups of Mozzarella Cheese shredded and divided (you can use less, I'm nuts)
- ½ pound of ground beef cooked
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil for noodles.
- Brown your ground beef in a pan over medium heat.
- Rinse and drain ground beef. Place back in pan and add sauce. Simmer.
- In a bowl, combine your ricotta and your 3 cups of your mozzarella. Stir until well combined. Set aside.
- Once your water is boiling, add salt to the water, then shells. Cook for less time than the directions on package. You want them a little hard. I cooked mine for 5 minutes but the box called for 8-9 minutes. It's okay since you're placing them in the oven after, so they will soften up more.
- Rinse the pasta, (this is something I normally never do but with this recipe I find it helps to make the noodles more workable, and if you use cool water the noodles can be handled right away) and set aside.
- Now preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
- Take a 9 x 13 pan and spray it with non stick spray.
- Spoon in a nice layer of sauce on the bottom of the pan.
- Now start stuffing your shells. You want to hold it on one hand and use a spoon to transfer the cheese mixture into them. Fill them up, cheese is one of life's little pleasures. Lay them all face up in the pan until the pan is full.
- Now sprinkle the remaining 2 cups of mozzarella over top.
- Place in the preheated oven for about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Serve with a big old cheesy smile!
Told you it was cheesy. Feel free to dial back the cheese if you like fitting into your jeans. If you only own stretchy pants, have at it. Add more cheese if you like. You only live once. (ya, don't listen to me folks! I am in no way qualified to give health or diet advice!)
A huge thanks to Amber from Mama's Blissful Bites for hosting the event this week. Amber guest posted for me while I was on my "vacation of doom" so feel free to stop by and see her Energy Balls. Her Energy Balls were fabulous. She did a great job hosting this special 5 ingredient Sunday Supper. Thanks for all your hard work Amber. I adore you!
Also a big thanks to Isabel of Family Foodie who runs the Sunday Supper group. If you would like to join or get more information please contact Isabel. You will love her. This lady is doing great things, bringing families back to the table is such a great movement. I am proud to be part of such an amazing group of bloggers.
Please be sure to stop by and check out the Sunday Supper crew. These folks rock it out every single week. Now get your cutie patootie, stretchy pant wearing butts over to these other blogs and say hello! We've got an amazing collection of Dishes in 5 Ingredients or Less for you today:
Breakfast, Starters, Butters and Jams:
- Pa Jun or Korean Scallion Pancakes – Kimchi Mom
- Homemade Instant Oatmeal – Home Cooking Memories
- GlutenFree Apricot Bacon Onion and Cheese Spread or Dip – Cooking Underwriter
- Caprese Bites – My Catholic Kitchen
- So Simple Pizza Puffs – Hip Foodie Mom
- Toast Topper #11: Allspice Peach Butter – What Smells So Good?
- Strawberry Balsamic Jam – The Messy Baker Blog
Main Dishes:
- Fresh Basil and Tomato Pasta – I Run For Wine
- Gulasch – Galactosemia in PDX
- Spaghetti with Kale and Sausage – Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
- Shrimp Stuffed Potatoes – Juanita’s Cocina
- Hawaiian Chicken Sandwiches – Supper for a Steal
- Sun Dried Tomato and Sausage Pasta – Small Wallet Big Appetite
- Pork Loin with Port Shallot Sauce – Vintage Kitchen Notes
- Chipotle Honey Lime Pork Tenderloin – Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Crockpot Chicken Tacos – The Hand That Rocks The Ladle
- Roasted Shrimp With Chili-Lime Sauce – Magnolia Days
- Peanut Butter Noodles – In the Kitchen with Audrey
- Soy, Orange Juice and Red Wine Marinated Flank – That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Beef Tenderloin with Stilton Pecan Butter – Noshing With The Nolands
- Pesto, Tomato & Feta Pizza – Momma’s Meals
- Quick Black Bean Burritos – Diabetic Foodie
- Lumachine with Fresh Parmesan and Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce – Mama’s Blissful Bites
- Potato Kugel – From Fast Food to Fresh Food
- Garlic Butter Fried Rice – My Trials in the Kitchen
- Goat Cheese Alfredo – Family Foodie
- Roasted Moroccan Rack of Lamb – Maroc Mama
- Baked Sweet Potato with Maple-Jalapeno – Comfy Cuisine
- Freezable Bacon Egg and Cheese Sandwiches – Big Bear’s Wife
- Grilled Polenta Cakes – Lovely Pantry
Desserts:
- Nutella Ice Cream – Shockingly Delicious
- Fresh Mint Ice Cream with Mint M&M’s – The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
- Grilled Mango Parfait with Greek Yogurt & Silvered Almonds – Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
- Honey Macaroons – Pippis In the Kitchen Again
- Strawberry Frozen Yogurt – Damn Delicious
- Homemade Caramel Sauce – Chocolate Moosey
- Easy Chocolate Chilli Fudge – Soni’s Food for Thought
- White-Chocolate Raspberry Puff Pastry Doughnuts – The Weekend Gourmet
- Easy No Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars – In The Kitchen With KP
- Broccoli and Feta Frittata – Kwistin’s Favorites
- Chocolate-Caramel Ice Cream – Basic N Delicious
- Pumpkin and Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake – Baker Street
- Peanut Butter Cup Popcorn – Mom’s Test Kitchen
Beverages:
- Five Most Food Friendly Wines – ENOFYLZ Wine Blog
More Great Pasta Recipes:
- Roasted Red Pepper Pasta from Cravings of a Lunatic
- Pizza Pasta from Cravings of a Lunatic
- Easy Cheesy Pasta Bake with Sausage and Peppers from Cravings of a Lunatic
- Cobb Pasta Salad from Spend with Pennies
- Eggplant Caponata Pasta from Simply Recipes
Craving more pasta? Check out these recipes:
Brown Butter Garlic Parmesan PastaÂ
One Pot Pasta with Sausage, Peppers, and Apples
Roasted Red Pepper and Italian Sausage Pasta
Penne with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
Thanks for visiting today!
Check out my recipe index for more amazing recipes. You can find more pasta recipes and tons of main course recipes.
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Toodles! xx
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious
Stuffed shells are my absolute favorite!
Kim Bee
They are just so ooey and gooey. Love them.
Nami | Just One Cookbook
I've seen these jumbo pasta before on other blogs but I have never had a chance to make it yet. I've never made stuffed shells before so I must give it a try and surprise my kids who also don't know of this dish! 😀 Looks delicious! I hope you are recovering from 3 needles.. that's ouch. Hope you feel better soon. Have a good restful Sunday!
Kim Bee
It`s a fun thing to do on the weekend. The possibilities for filling are endless. I like it cuz it`s sort of a fun take on lasagna. I am a pasta lover so always trying to mix it up a bit.
Thanks. My arms were so sore. I just wasn`t thinking when I agreed to them all on the same day. lol
Choc Chip Uru
Haha you asleep as much as you want my friend, your photos wil always be there 😉
LOVE your stuffed shells what a meal!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Kim Bee
Thank you my dear. I ended up not napping but hung out in bed working.
So good, I love a good cheesy pasta.
Baker Street
The ricotta and beef filling sounds incredible, kim! I absolutely love the idea of this cheesy recipe for dinner tonight. 🙂
Kim Bee
Thanks so much. It's a fun, easy, cheesy meal.
The Mom Chef
While I look forward to seeing photos, I'm more than willing to wait until you're completely healthy. The casserole really does look super cheesy and delicious. A good substitute for ricotta is cream cheese; not 100% of it so that would put you over the 5-ingredient thing.
Whatever, this looks absolutely delicious.
Kim Bee
Awe, you are so sweet. I am on the mend, albeit slowly.
I almost used cream cheese, I have 3 things of it in the fridge I need to use up. This was a fun challenge. Making pasta under 5 is hard.
suzanne Perazzini
I have to learn not to overdo it too. Swollen feet in Rome is not fun but that sun was killer after the cold in New Zealand. This recipe looks like it could fit into the Italian cuisine I am consuming at the moment - lots of pasta and sauces.
Kim Bee
I get that too in the heat. Just be careful you don't end up with edema. Happened to me when I pushed the limits of good sense during a hot spell trying to move a couple of tons of mulch and dirt on a quick deadline. My feet and legs blew up like balloons. Put your feet up at the end of the day, elevate them, works wonders.
Thanks. I love pasta. Wish I was eating it where you are.
Ruth
I love 5 ingredient recipes! It looks so yummy, don't worry I won't blame you after eating it, I'll use an elastic waistband 🙂
Kim Bee
Thanks Ruth. Stretchy pants wearers unite.
Ramona
You took on the challenge and totally kicked butt... I want some of this now and it's morning here. 🙂 Glad to hear your were feeling better. 🙂
Kim Bee
Thanks Ramona. I had some for breakfast one day. I'm not a breakfast person so I tend to eat weird things when I do eat.
Doing much better, but a ways to go still. One day at a time.
Jen @ Juanita's Cocina
These are a family favorite meal! But you already made them, so I'll be right there.
Kim Bee
Yah, saving a spot for ya! xx
Kayle (The Cooking Actress)
Yum! I love stuffed shells (and ricotta) sooo I'm all about this.
And you're hilarious. It totally probably will be the 4 cookies that do me in, though, let's be honest. 😛
Kim Bee
Thanks Kayle. I'm not a huge ricotta fan but it's fun to experiment with different cheeses.
*giggles* I'm all for keeping it real.
kitchenriffs
Anything with pasta and cheese gets my vote! I've never tried the Classico sauces (or really any of the store-bought sauces) but I understand they're pretty good. So why haven't I tried their sauces? Whenever I want a sauce, it's often spur of the moment, so it's much easier to make it than go to the grocery store and buy it! That's one of the downsides of being a pantry cook, rather than plan-every-meal-and-buy-the-ingredients-at-the-grocery-store cook. 😉 Good stuff - thanks.
Kim Bee
I use them on occasion, mostly for pizza sauce. They make a good, quick base and you can tweak the heck out of them. I like theirs and I had the good fortune to pick up a Mario Batali sauce in the states once. It was wonderful. I think for me it's easier cuz the sauce is so broken down and processed that it won't flare up my sensitivity/allergy to tomatoes. Sometimes if I use fresh or canned and I don't cook them down enough I have weird skin reactions. So odd. Not sure why it works like that. You'd think a tomato is a tomato.
Thanks so much. I am a fly by the seat of my pants kind of girl. I am usually whipping up dinner at the last minute. Now that my son is gone I can't just send him to the store for things I need on a whim. It's driving me mad. lol
Fami
I love anything with cheese! Can't wait to try this delish recipe.
Kim Bee
Thanks so much Isabel. Hope you like it.
Lane @ Supper for a Steal
Amazing that you make stuffed shells with only 5 ingredients! We love stuffed shells but I don't make them often because my recipe requires about 25 different ingredients.
Kim Bee
It was a challenge but so much fun. I usually use a ton of ingredients as well. Love my spice.
Tammi @ Momma's Meals
What a great dish for a busy week night!! Delish with all the looks of it being a tough dish to make! Happy #SS!
Kim Bee
Thanks so much Tami. I love when dishes are simple but look complicated. That way you can make people think you slaved over it for hours. *giggles*
Karen Hartzell (@InTheKitchenKP)
We love stuffed shells in our house...or maybe it's the cheese we love...either way, great recipe to make for a crowd! Happy Sunday Supper!
Kim Bee
I swear the cheesy goodness of a good pasta is so addictive. Something so comforting about it.
Paula @ Vintage Kitchen
This is my kind of pasta! No good pasta dish is ever diet food. Wonderful recipe!
Kim Bee
Agreed, if I'm going to eat it I want it jam packed with things that are going to make me happy...and chubby. Thanks. xx
Bea
Oh, I love stuffed shells and never made them at home. Here is my inspiration! It looks so good!!!
Kim Bee
Thanks so much Bea. They are super easy to make. It's funny cuz they look complicated but they really aren't.
veronica gantley
I love that you can put this together in a snap. I love the combination of flavors!
Kim Bee
I like simple, and fast. Just makes life more enjoyable.
Hotly Spiced
That's such a delicious looking family meal. I would like to try this. Everyone in this house loves pasta shells! xx
Kim Bee
Thanks so much. Us too. I love finding ways to use them. I really love those mini shells they have out too. So cute in so many dishes as well.
Melanie from FastFood2FreshFood
Dial back the cheese? Nah-- that was perfect- says the girl from Wisconsin....
Kim Bee
Lol, that made my day. Hilarious!