Description
Creamy Beef and Shells bring comfort right to your dinner table, melting together perfectly seasoned ground beef with tender pasta shells in a rich, cheesy sauce that families adore.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 8 ounces medium pasta shells
- 1 15oz can marinara sauce
- 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese, freshly grated
Supporting Ingredients:
- 1 cup beef stock
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup sour cream
Seasonings and Aromatics:
- 1 small sweet onion, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Boil 8 ounces of pasta shells in salted water for 8-10 minutes until al dente. Drain completely and set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet at medium-high temperature. Add 1 pound ground beef and cook for 4 minutes, crumbling with a wooden spoon until browned.
- Remove excess fat from the skillet. Transfer beef to a separate plate.
- Sauté 1 small diced onion in the same skillet for 2 minutes until translucent.
- Add 5 minced garlic cloves and cook for 30 seconds until aromatic.
- Sprinkle 2 tablespoons flour over the onion mixture and stir for 1 minute until lightly golden.
- Pour 1 cup beef stock gradually, whisking constantly to prevent lumps.
- Stir in 15 ounces marinara sauce and 1 teaspoon each of Italian seasoning, dried parsley, and ½ teaspoon oregano and paprika.
- Simmer sauce for 7 minutes until it reduces and thickens slightly.
- Return cooked beef to the skillet and mix thoroughly.
- Pour ¾ cup heavy cream into the skillet and heat for 2 minutes.
- Season with kosher salt and black pepper to your taste preference.
- Blend in ¼ cup sour cream until smooth.
- Sprinkle 1 ½ cups freshly grated cheddar cheese and stir until completely melted.
- Fold in reserved pasta shells, ensuring everything is evenly coated.
- Serve immediately while hot and cheese is perfectly melted.
Notes
- Drain pasta thoroughly to prevent watery sauce, ensuring each shell captures the rich, creamy mixture.
- Brown ground beef completely for maximum flavor, breaking into small pieces to distribute evenly throughout the dish.
- Select a sharp cheddar cheese that melts smoothly, creating a velvety texture without becoming grainy or separated.
- For a lighter version, substitute half-and-half for heavy cream and use lean ground beef or ground turkey to reduce overall fat content.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 17-22 minutes
- Category: Beef
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 698 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 620 mg
- Fat: 44 g
- Saturated Fat: 23 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 19 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 39 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 122 mg