Double Stuffed Shells
Servings: 6 servings
Italian Double Stuffed Shells are filled with ground beef meatballs and a ricotta cheese mixture. Smother in sauce and sprinkle with cheese before baking for an easy and tasty dinner!
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Ingredients
Meatballs
- 12 ounces Ground Beef
- 1 large Egg
- 3 tbsp Panko Breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp Milk
- 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
Cheese Blend
- 1 cup Ricotta Cheese
- 1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
- 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded
- 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
Assembly
- 1/2 Recipe Pasta Sauce, or 1 jar favorite marinara sauce
- 12-14 Jumbo Shells, dry
- Additional Mozzarella & Parmesan for sprinkling
- Red Pepper flakes as desired
Instructions
Meatballs
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Put water on to a boil in medium saucepan.
- Combine breadcrumbs, milk, seasoning and kosher salt well in a medium bowl. Add ground beef and mix until just combined.
- Form meat mixture into 12 small meatballs. I use a #40 ice cream scoop to help get them (mostly) uniform. Put on small baking sheet, and bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes or so, until browned and cooked through. Allow to cool a bit for handling.
Cheese Blend
- Combine cheeses and spices in small bowl and mix well. Set aside.
Assembly
- Once the water boils, add a generous pinch of salt and 14 or so jumbo shells. (The rest will keep in the pantry for the next batch of these beauties.)
- Stir occasionally to prevent the shells from sticking. When they are a minute or so before done (use the package cooking time as a guide) remove them from the water with a strainer and put on paper towel lined plate to cool.
- Make 1/2 of the Pasta Sauce Recipe or open a jar of marinara sauce.
- Put about a cup of pasta sauce in the bottom of a rectangular casserole dish. Put about a tablespoon of the cheese mixture into a stuffed shell and gently push a meatball into center.
- Place stuffed shell in casserole dish, and continue with remaining shells and meatballs.
- Spoon about a tablespoon of sauce over each stuffed shell. Liberally sprinkle shells with shredded mozzarella and Parmesan cheese to taste.
- Cover with foil, and bake casserole for about 15 minutes. Remove foil and allow to cook for 5 more minutes or so to brown. Serve with a green salad and garlic bread.