Veal Stuffed Shells
Red sauce covered stuffed shells toped with fresh chopped basil for garnish.

Veal Stuffed Shells

Veal Stuffed Shells filled with ground veal, ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan are a comforting and delicious family dinner. Serve with a side salad and garlic bread for a complete meal.

Veal stuffed shells are simple to make. The ingredients are basic, and things you might already have at home. They are perfect for serving a crowd, packed with flavor and a creamy ricotta filling. These stuffed shells have three basic parts, the shells, the filling, and the sauce.

The Shells

Boil your jumbo pasta shells in a salted pot of water with some cooking oil to keep the shells from sticking together. This recipe makes twelve jumbo shells, but make sure to boil a couple extra in case they rip. Boil, drain, and slightly cool the shells before separating them onto a plate. Once the shells start to dry and stick to each other it is hard to separate them without accidentally tearing them

The Filling

These shells are filled with a delicious and creamy ricotta filling. Combine the ricotta, cheeses, half the ground veal and egg in a bowl. Then mix until well incorporated. Use half the ground veal in the shells and half in the sauce that tops the shells in this recipe. Or, if you prefer, use all the ground veal in the filling mixture instead.

The Sauce

Use your preferred prepared spaghetti sauce in this stuffed shell recipe. Anything that might be your favorite, whether that is a homemade sauce or a jarred sauce. Any tomato based sauce will pair perfectly with these cheesy stuffed shells.  Serve these shells with a salad and garlic bread for a full dinner. Or serve with a steamed vegetable for a quick dinner side.

This delicious and saucy comfort food was developed by Carla Cardello of Homemade in the Kitchen. If you looking to spice up your shells a little, check out our Tex Mex Stuffed Shells for a taco night version. They are delicious and creamy as well!

Prep Time:
30 Minutes

Cook Time:
30 Minutes

Serves:
4

Ingredients

  • 12 uncooked jumbo shells
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • 1/2 pound (8 ounces) ground veal
  • 1/4 cup diced onion
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1 + 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil
  • 1 egg, room temperature
  • 1 + 1/2 cups prepared spaghetti sauce

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Have a 13×9 pan ready.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add a big handful of salt then add the jumbo shells. Cook as directed on the package until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain and cool. Separating them before completely cooled to ensure they don’t stick together.

Meanwhile in a large skillet, heat the oil. Once hot, add the veal, onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt. Cook until brown and no longer pink, about 5-8 minutes. Drain grease.

In a large bowl, mix together the ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, Parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon salt, basil, and egg then stir in half of the cooked veal.

Prepare the pan by spreading 1/2 cup sauce on the bottom of the pan. Stuff each shell with the ricotta mixture and place inside the pan. Top with remaining sauce, veal, and mozzarella. Bake for 20 minutes or until sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted.