Unstuffed Shells Casserole
Unstuffed shells casserole is a simple dish! It’s full of meat sauce, cheeses, and pasta, similar to what you would find in a classic stuffed shells recipe but in an easy casserole.
WHY WE LOVE THIS RECIPE
Pasta casseroles are so simple and pack a punch with flavor. This one is no different. It takes very little effort and makes a wonderful dinner option. Casseroles are so versatile so please feel free to play with the seasonings and add what your family loves.
KEY INGREDIENTS
- Ground beef
- Garlic powder
- Marinara sauce
- Onion, diced
- Medium pasta shells, uncooked.
- Ricotta cheese
- Shredded parmesan cheese
- Italian seasoning
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Shredded mozzarella
- Basil, chopped
SWAPS
This dish can easily be made with ground turkey or ground chicken. Feel free to add the seasonings and herbs your family enjoys.
HOW TO COOK
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook the pasta according to the package and set aside. In a skillet, brown the ground beef (if there is a lot of grease, drain). Add the onion and garlic powder and cook for a minute or so. Next, add the pasta sauce and let simmer for about 5 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, parmesan, basil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix until well combined, then stir in the cooked pasta shells. Spray a 9X13 baking dish. Spread half the meat sauce on the bottom. Next, add the pasta shells and top with a final layer of the meat sauce. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and cover with foil.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes; remove the foil and cook another 10 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil.
Unstuffed Shells Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound of ground beef or ground turkey
- ½ teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1 24 ounce jar of marinara sauce
- ½ onion diced
- 4 cups of medium pasta shells uncooked.
- 2 cups of ricotta cheese
- ½ cup of shredded parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon of italian seasoning
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 ½ cups of shredded mozerella
- 1/4 th cup of basil chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook the pasta according to the package and set aside. In a skillet, brown the ground beef (if there is a lot of grease, drain). Add the onion and garlic powder and cook for a minute or so. Next, add the pasta sauce and let simmer for about 5 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, parmesan, basil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix until well combined, then stir in the cooked pasta shells. Spray a 9X13 baking dish.
- Spread half the meat sauce in the bottom. Next, add the pasta shells and top with a final layer of the meat sauce. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and cover with foil.
- Bake in preheated oven for 32 minutes, remove foil and cook another 10 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil.
Notes
HOW TO STORE
Place any leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for 3-4 days.
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I started the recipe but made some substitutions. Apparently used the box of shells I thought I had in the pantry, so I grabbed the bow-tie pasta, which wasn’t a big deal. However, my wife suggested we try sausage, instead of burger, and I used a pound of Italian sausage. Again, that’s not a big deal. However, I did two more subs: instead of ricotta, I used blended cottage cheese. I also added a cup and a half of chopped and frozen spinach in leaf form, not the block of spinach. The results were very good, and this recipe is going into my file. I did make a mistake–didn’t thaw and drain the chopped spinach, so there was a bit too much moisture. Next time, I will halve the ingredients to create a dish for two.
Thanks for the recipes!
So good and so easy! It’s a great way to enjoy the taste of stuff shells without all the effort.
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the kind review!