Take a dish of boring spaghetti and meatballs up a notch. Why not try making meatball-stuffed pasta shells instead? Smother with a spicy tomato sauce, cover with cheese and you’ll have a meal that will make the whole family come back for seconds.
Jumbo pasta shells stuffed with meatballs
Move over spaghetti and meatballs! The family will love this fresh take on a classic. Instead of serving meatballs on top of pasta, this recipe tucks juicy meatballs inside jumbo pasta shells, then bakes them in a spicy, vegetable-packed tomato sauce and finishes with a golden layer of cheese.
If you’re short on time, frozen supermarket meatballs work well. If you’d prefer homemade, try any favourite meatball recipe. A basic version is included below so you can make everything from scratch if you like.
The sauce has a gentle chilli kick that you can omit if you don’t like heat. It also contains plenty of vegetables—onions, tomatoes and mushrooms—so the finished bake feels satisfying and well-rounded. When you pour the sauce over the stuffed shells it seeps into the pasta, keeping the meatballs moist.
Serve with crusty garlic bread and a green salad for a simple, family-friendly meal.
How to make meatball-stuffed jumbo pasta shells
See the recipe card below for ingredient quantities and full timing. The method is straightforward and breaks down into three parts.
- Prepare and cook the meatballs
- Make the tomato and vegetable sauce
- Assemble the shells and bake with cheese
Step 1 – Prepare the meatballs
Combine ground meat with softened bread, grated onion, an egg and seasonings. You can use all beef or a mix of beef and pork for extra flavour. Soak the bread in milk, squeeze out excess liquid, then mix everything together.
- Place all meatball ingredients into a mixing bowl and combine thoroughly.
- Form into golf-ball-sized meatballs and fry gently in olive oil until evenly browned.
- Reduce heat and continue cooking, turning occasionally, for about 5 minutes until just cooked through. Don’t overcook—there’s a second bake in the oven.
Step 2 – Make the sauce
The sauce is based on onions, fresh tomatoes and mushrooms. Use white mushrooms, chestnuts or portobellos—about 1½ cups chopped. Tomato passata is ideal because it’s smooth and seed-free; a blended can of tomatoes will do if passata isn’t available. Avoid using concentrated tomato paste as a direct substitute.
- Finely chop tomatoes and onions.
- Sweat the onions in olive oil until softened and translucent; avoid browning.
- Add the tomatoes and cook until they break down, stirring occasionally.
- Add mushrooms, garlic, vinegar, sugar, chilli flakes (optional) and the passata. Cover and simmer gently for about 30 minutes on the lowest heat so the sauce reduces without drying out.
- The finished sauce should be thick but still pourable.
Assemble and bake
Cook 16 jumbo pasta shells in lightly salted boiling water until al dente; they will finish cooking in the oven. Add a couple of extra shells while boiling in case some break.
Drain and rinse the shells under cold running water to stop the cooking process, then handle carefully to avoid tearing.
- Place one meatball into each cooked shell and arrange in a baking dish.
- Pour the tomato sauce over the shells so it surrounds the meatballs and fills the shells.
- Sprinkle grated cheddar or your favourite melting cheese over the top.
- Bake in a hot oven (200°C / 400°F) for about 15 minutes, until the cheese has melted and turned golden.
- Remove from the oven and serve hot with toasted garlic bread and a simple salad if you like.
Can I freeze meatball-stuffed pasta shells?
Yes. I recommend freezing the uncooked meatballs and the sauce separately, and cooking the pasta fresh on the day you plan to bake the dish.
To freeze meatballs, place them on a baking tray and open-freeze until solid. Transfer to a freezer bag and store for up to 4 months. For the sauce, cool completely, transfer to a rigid container and freeze for up to 6 months.
When ready to use, defrost the sauce and meatballs, fry the meatballs as instructed, then assemble and bake as usual.
Can I make this dish in advance?
Yes. Assemble the dish without the grated cheese, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days. When ready to bake, add the cheese and heat in the oven until bubbling and golden.
Other recipes
Explore more pasta ideas such as creamy spaghetti carbonara, macaroni and cheese lasagne, or a one-pot American goulash with corn for family dinners.
The recipe
Meatball stuffed jumbo pasta shells with tomato sauce
Jumbo pasta shells filled with juicy meatballs and smothered with a tasty tomato sauce. Cover with cheese, bake and enjoy a family favourite with a twist.
Recipe by: Veronica
Course: Main Course | Cuisine: British, Italian inspired
Calories: 660
Prep: 20 minutes | Cook: 40 minutes | Total: 1 hour
Serves: 4
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Baking sheet
- Saucepan with lid
- Large saucepan for pasta
- Baking dish
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 lb (450g) ground beef (or half beef/half pork)
- 1 large egg (or one small egg + 1 yolk)
- 2 slices white bread soaked in ¼ cup milk
- 1 large grated onion
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp mixed or Italian herbs
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil (for frying)
Sauce
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 large tomatoes, finely chopped
- 1½ cups white mushrooms, sliced or quartered
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dried chilli flakes (optional)
- 2 cups tomato passata (or blended canned tomatoes)
- Salt, to taste
Other
- 16 jumbo pasta shells
- ½ cup grated cheddar cheese for topping
Instructions
Meatballs
- Squeeze the soaked bread to remove excess milk and combine with the other meatball ingredients (except olive oil) in a large mixing bowl.
- Mix thoroughly and form into 16 golf-ball-sized meatballs.
- Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and brown the meatballs evenly. Reduce heat and continue cooking, turning occasionally, until fully cooked (about 5 minutes). Test by cutting one open—no pink should remain. Set aside.
Sauce
- Chop tomatoes and onions finely.
- Heat the olive oil in a saucepan; sweat the onions until soft and translucent without browning.
- Add tomatoes and cook until they break down, stirring occasionally.
- Add mushrooms, garlic, vinegar, sugar, chilli flakes and passata. Cover and simmer gently for about 30 minutes on low heat until the sauce has thickened slightly.
Assemble and bake
- While the sauce simmers, bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta shells to the packet time until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking.
- Place one meatball in each shell and arrange in a baking dish. Pour sauce over the shells so it surrounds the meatballs.
- Sprinkle with grated cheese and bake at 200°C / 400°F for about 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden.
- Remove from the oven and serve with toasted garlic bread.
Notes
Note 1: The recipe calls for 16 jumbo shells. Cook a few extra in case some break. Don’t overcook the pasta in the boiling water; it will finish cooking in the oven.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 660 | Carbohydrates: 68.4 g | Protein: 50.4 g | Fat: 18.2 g | Saturated Fat: 6.8 g | Cholesterol: 164 mg | Sodium: 850 mg | Potassium: 854 mg | Fiber: 6.2 g | Sugar: 13.8 g | Calcium: 173 mg | Iron: 2.4 mg
Nutrition information is an estimate calculated using an online tool and is for guidance only.
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Continue browsing for more recipes in the recipe index and other pasta dishes for weeknight dinners and special occasions.