Guess what's for dinner tonight? Pasta shells stuffed with minced meat, baked under creamy béchamel sauce and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. All seasoned with aromatic oregano and fresh basil. This tasty, filling dish, inspired by Italian cuisine, will surely satisfy every pasta lover. Comfort food at its best! 

In our kitchen, pasta dishes are served quite rarely, but from time to time we love to make this dish as it’s a foolproof recipe and everyone loves it. This stuffed pasta shells recipe is perfect for feeding a crowd. You can also prepare it ahead of time and bake it in the oven just before serving. It tastes great both hot and cold. 

How to prepare stuffed pasta shells - tips 

• If you can't find large pasta shells cannelloni tubes will also work. 

• Remember to cook pasta al dente, it can be slightly undercooked. It’s easier to stuff firm pasta shells, and it'll cook completely in the oven. 

• I always spread tomato sauce on the bottom of an ovenproof dish and place prepared shells on top. However, it's not essential. If you want to skip tomato sauce, brush the dish with olive oil before arranging your pasta. 

I've got one more recipe for a delicious dinner with pasta and meatballs that you might want to try out! Click the link below to find the recipe. 

• Baked meatballs with pasta and vegetables

Stuffed pasta shells with meat | oven baked

Pasta shells stuffed with minced meat, baked under creamy béchamel sauce and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. All seasoned with aromatic oregano and fresh basil. 

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Recipe

Prep Time 50 minutes mins

Baking Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course Main, Dinner

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

Stuffed pasta shells

• 500 g minced meat (pork or beef)
• 150 g pasta (large shells)
• 1 onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 cup passata
• ½ cup vegetable stock
• 2-3 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 1 tsp oregano
• salt to taste
• black pepper to taste
• 20 g parmesan cheese (grated)

Béchamel sauce

• 250 ml milk
• 4 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp wheat flour
• pinch of nutmeg
• salt to taste

Tomato sauce (optional)

• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 1 tsp oregano
• salt to taste
• black pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan, add the finely chopped onion and grated garlic, fry over low heat until soft and translucent. Increase the heat and add the minced meat. When the meat is almost fried, add the broth, passata, tomato puree, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Simmer for 12-15 minutes. Set aside to cool down.
• Cook the pasta (al dente) according to the instructions on the package. Make sure you don’t overcook it. Rinse with cold water and set aside.
• Tomato sauce: cook all the tomato sauce ingredients in a small frying pan for about 10 minutes until slightly reduced.
• Béchamel sauce: melt the butter in a saucepan, whisk in the flour until smooth (without lumps). Constantly stirring, add the milk, cook for a while until a thick, creamy sauce is obtained. Season with salt and nutmeg and mix well.
• Preheat the oven to 180°C.
• Spread the reduced tomato sauce on the bottom of a large ovenproof dish. Stuff the shells with meat sauce one by one and place them in the prepared dish. Add béchamel sauce on top and sprinkle with a grated Parmesan. Put the prepared meal in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes. Enjoy your meal!

Keywords pasta, meat, stuffed pasta, béchamel sauce

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