These giant pasta shells stuffed with flavourful tomato pesto beef sauce are a one pot winner! No one will be able to resist this cozy pasta dish topped with melted mozzarella for cheesy goodness!
Serve this pasta bake with my Prosciutto Caprese Parcels as starters and Roasted Parmesan Broccoli for a delicious Italian inspired dinner!
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This pasta recipe is a one pot wonder, I tell ya! I make a lot of pasta dishes. 2-3 times a week. But this hearty meal is special. My kids were the most enthusiastic eaters and my husband declared it to be “most special pasta” ever.
Whoa! I have no idea what I did right and but I am guessing using giant pasta shells and stuffing them with a rich meat sauce flavoured with basil pesto did the trick. My daughter said it was like eating Italian tacos!
The meat sauce I used to stuff shells might seem like a standard recipe but it has a secret ingredient for extra flavour that turns them into the best stuffed pasta shells you will ever eat. Basil Pesto.
Who would have thought that simple store bought pesto could elevate a regular pasta bake to something AMAZING!
What pasta can I use for stuffing?
You are looking for jumbo pasta shells, sometimes called jumbo in the US or conchiglioni in Italian. They are quite a bit thicker as well, so absolutely perfect for holding your meat sauce without tearing.
If you can’t find them, regular shells will also work but instead of stuffing them simply mix them with the hearty meat sauce and top with mozzarella cheese. They will still taste delicious.
Stuffed pasta shells with ground beef
The premise for this easy stuffed shells recipe is not new. All we are doing is combining pasta with tomato beef sauce, sprinkling cheese over top the sauce and placing it in the oven to bake. Cheesy comfort food at its best.
However, the novelty of stuffed pasta plus the deliciousness of the tomato and ground beef sauce, that is made with the inclusion of basil pesto, begs this recipe to be made ASAP!
If you are hesitant about combining tomato sauce and basil pesto I understand. I was too…after all it’s one or another, right? Fortunately I still decided to give it a go.
What I realised was that pesto infused the meat sauce with gorgeous basil flavour while the cheese and pine nuts gave it a more creamy and luscious texture. That is why this pasta bake is NOT ordinary!
Recipe tips and notes
- Boil the pasta shells in a large pot of salted water.. Take them out before they are fully al dente as they will cook more when baked in the oven. This will usually mean taking them out of the water in 1-2 minutes less than package directions.
- When the large shells are done and drained in a strainer, run cold water over top the cooked shells to keep them from sticking together.
- The shells might stick after taking, so add a layer of sauce to the bottom of a baking dish, then add the shells on top. This will make them easier to remove.
- I used grated mozzarella as I love the gentle flavour and how beautifully it melts. But you can use the types of cheese or cheese mixture of your choice. It is best to use freshly grated cheese, rather than pre-grated cheese, as it will melt more effectively. For extra cheesiness, try mixing in some ricotta or sprinkling with fresh shredded Parmesan cheese. And use lots of cheese to give it extra flavour!
- This is a great recipe to make ahead for busy weeknights. Make the whole recipe and place your casserole dish with unbaked stuffed shells, covered in plastic wrap, and the in fridge until you are ready to bake the next day. If you take them out in time to come to room temperature, the bake time will remain unchanged.
- Instead of ground beef, you can use sausage meat to impart even more flavour. Because sausage meat has already been spiced, it is a great shortcut, especially for pasta dishes!
- For a richer pasta, pour Alfredo sauce underneath and overtop the shells before baking.
Serving suggestions
You know what else is great about this pasta dish? It’s delicious and sophisticated enough for a dinner party. Just throw in some nice bread or garlic bread, olives, any antipasti you love. Add a simple Caprese salad or side salad and your guests will be endlessly impressed.
Sprinkle with some chopped fresh basil leaves and I am not exaggerating in the least, they will feel like they’ve attended a nice Italian restaurant. Wouldn’t you if you were served a bowl of this?
Storage and leftovers
Any leftovers can be kept for 3-5 days in an airtight container in the fridge. Or for more convenience, leave any leftover shells in the casserole dish you cooked them in and cover with plastic wrap, ready to go back in the oven.
They can be heated up in the oven set to 180°C/350°F for approximately 10-15 minutes or they are hot throughout and the cheese melts. Cover it with aluminum foil to keep it from drying out while reheating.
I don’t recommend freezing pasta as it doesn’t do it any favours.
More baked pasta recipes
- Baked Penne alla Vodka with Meatballs
- Sausage Pasta Bake with Mozzarella
- Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Breadcrumb Topping
- Best Tuna Noodle Casserole
- Pasta al Forno
Stuffed Pasta Shells with Tomato and Pesto Meat Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp This is an affiliate link.olive oil
- ½ onion chopped
- 450 g /1 lbs ground beef extra-lean
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 500g g /2 cups tomato passata/crushed tomatoes
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 3 tbsp basil pesto
- 450 g / ½ lbs giant pasta shells
- 100 g /1 cup mozzarella grated
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400℉/200℃. Cook chopped onion in olive oil over low heat for 5-7 minutes until soft but not coloured. Add ground beef and cook, stirring it the whole until no longer pink.
- Add dried oregano, salt, tomato passata/crushed tomatoes and basil pesto. Bring to a boil and then turn the heat down and simmer for 20 minutes, stir one in a while to avoid burning. Take it off the heat and cool slightly.
- While the sauce is simmering, cook the shells in a large pot according to package instructions. It's important to cook pasta 1-2 minutes less than package directions advise as it will be further cooked in the oven.
- Drain pasta and rinse it with cold water, this will prevent pasta shells sticking to each other. Cool until room temperature.
- To a 9X13 inch rectangular dish add 1 cup of the sauce, so it will cover the bottom of the pan. Then arrange the shells in rows in a single layer. Then fill the shells with the beef sauce, approximately two teaspoons per shell. (I was able to fit 25 shells in my pan). If there is any sauce leftover, spoon it over the pasta. Then sprinkle with grated mozzarella cheese, cover with tin foil and bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Then uncover and cook for 15 minutes longer until the cheese is golden and pasta is hot and bubbly.
Adele Forsberg says
This turned out great and very filling! Made 1 1/2 times the meat and sauce (serving men) and served with a Caesar salad and garlic bread and everyone loved it. The flavor is spot on….It’s a make again!
Julia Frey (Vikalinka) says
What a great outcome.Thank you for sharing this with me, Adele!
Michelle says
I have made the original recipe a bunch and we love it. This update threw me. Are there any differences essentially besides the larger pasta shells? I want to do it like I always do, and dont recall. Thanks!
Julia Frey says
Hi Michelle, the same sauce, different size pasta shells. I actually wrote about it in the post.
“If you can’t find giant shells, regular shells will also work but instead of stuffing them, simply mix them with the sauce and top with mozzarella cheese. They will still taste delicious and will look like this.” And I attached the old photo as illustration. I hope this clears up your question.
Best
Julia
Francine Vincent says
When you write Passata/ tomatoes, do you use one of them or both half and half?
vikalinka says
I write Passata/crushed tomatoes as options for two different audiences since different products are available in different countries. They are similar things for the UK and US audiences. I use passata since I live in the UK,
Liz says
I am making this tonight, and can’t wait! I adore your website, thanks!
vikalinka says
I am so happy to hear it, Liz! This dish is honestly our family’s staple!
Lina says
This was really good! Even though I forgot the basil and Parmesan. Good job 👍
vikalinka says
I am so pleased to hear it, Lina! It’s such a feel good dinner. Simple and comforting.
Isabella says
This recipe is so good! My whole family loves it.
Biba says
Is it red or green pesto you use?
vikalinka says
Green pesto.
maria says
looks good!! I was wondering if you could prep ahead of time do everything in the morning then bake it later for dinner?
vikalinka says
Thanks, Maria. I am sure you can! 🙂
Susan says
this looks so good and I am going to make it. What are pesto shells?
vikalinka says
That was a typo, it was supposed to be pasta shells, Susan. I’ve corrected it, thank you for noticing! Pesto shells would’ve been hard to find! 🙂
Brigitte Staudt says
I made this today for lunch–EXCELLENT!! Will definitely make again. Simple ingredients, usually on hand–finished off the little pesto jar I had in the refrigerator. Your photographs are beautiful, and you never disappoint with the final product!! Thank you so much! Always looking forward to what you post.
vikalinka says
Brigitte, thank you so much for your sweet comment. You just made my day! Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Tammy Renea says
Your pictures are just beautiful! Love the recipe.
vikalinka says
Thank you, Tammy!
Katya @ Little Broken says
I love simple pasta dishes like these! Makes a quick dinner, especially during a weeknight and much loved with little peeps 🙂
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers says
Love the idea of adding pesto to pasta, and especially love another quick weeknight meal idea!
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
Yes please to a one pot wonder, these shells look mouth watering!