Jumbo pasta shells filled with melty cheese, marinara and meatballs make for such an easy appetizer or meal! Everyone will ask for these Meatball Stuffed Pasta Shells again and again!
Marvelous Meatball Stuffed Pasta Shells Recipe
These Meatball Stuffed Pasta Shells are marvelous in so many ways. They’re quick and easy to make with minimal ingredients. They’re impressive to serve. Everyone thinks they’re such a creative way to serve and enjoy meatballs!
And most importantly, they’re so delicious!
Family Dinner or Easy Appetizer
Whether it’s a quick-to-the-table family dinner on a busy weeknight, an easy-to-grab appetizer for a dinner party with friends, a comforting meal to take to a family who just had a baby or as part of our gameday spread, it’s one of my current favorite recipes to make and serve.
You can use fully cooked frozen meatballs to make this recipe. Or, if you have a bit of time, my baked meatball recipe is super easy and always a huge hit. They’re juicy, flavorful and sized just right for a finger food that you can eat in two tasty bites.
Ingredients and Supplies
(see recipe card at the bottom of this post for measurements and details)
Ingredients:
- Marinara pasta sauce (jarred sauce or my simple marinara recipe)
- Cooked frozen meatballs
- Jumbo pasta shells
- Olive oil
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
- Fresh basil, for garnishing (optional)
Supplies:
How to Make Meatball Stuffed Pasta Shells
- In a medium-sized saucepan, heat the marinara sauce over medium heat until it starts to simmer. Add the frozen meatballs, cover and let simmer over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Fill a large pot with 4-6 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add 2 teaspoons olive oil and then add the jumbo pasta shells. Cook pasta shells for 9 minutes, drain and let cool enough so you can touch them, just a few minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Spread a layer of marinara on the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.
- Place 18 of the cooked and cooled pasta shells out evenly in the dish. Fill each shell with 1 teaspoon cheese, 1 marinara-simmered meatball and a teaspoon of marinara sauce from the saucepan.
- Top with another teaspoon of mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for about 5 minutes or until cheese on top of each stuffed pasta shell is melted.
Storage
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. Reheat, covered, in the microwave or in the oven until heated through.
If you make these Meatball Stuffed Pasta Shells, be sure to snap a picture and share it with me on Instagram @thebakermama so I can see. If you’re on Facebook, be sure to join my Friends of The BakerMama group to connect and share all the fun and yummy recipes of mine that you make! 
I just love seeing how inspired and creative y’all get with the ideas I share.
xoxo,
Meatball Stuffed Pasta Shells
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 35 mins
- Yield: 18
- Category: Appetizer
Description
Jumbo pasta shells filled with melty cheese, marinara and meatballs make for such an easy appetizer or meal! Everyone will ask for these Meatball Stuffed Pasta Shells again and again!
Ingredients
- 1 (25 ounce) jar marinara pasta sauce
- 18 fully cooked frozen meatballs
- 18 jumbo pasta shells
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- chopped fresh basil, for garnishing (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium-sized saucepan, heat the marinara sauce over medium heat until it starts to simmer. Add the frozen meatballs, cover and let simmer over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Fill a large pot with 4-6 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add 2 teaspoons olive oil and then add the jumbo pasta shells. Cook pasta shells for 9 minutes, drain and let cool enough so you can touch them, just a few minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Spread a layer of marinara on the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.
- Place 18 of the cooked and cooled pasta shells out evenly in the dish. Fill each shell with 1 teaspoon cheese, 1 marinara-simmered meatball, a teaspoon of marinara sauce from the saucepan.
- Top with another teaspoon of mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for about 5 minutes or until cheese on top of each stuffed pasta shell is melted.
Hi Bakermama, Thank you for your reply… How ironic finding your message. Going to start putting that together now… Thanks again BakerMama…
Ben…
Hi Bakermama, I just found recipe… It looks delicious… I live alone, so can this be frozen in a airtight container ? What would be the best to reheat them ? Thank you for sharing…
Ben…
Hi Ben! Yes! To freeze, place the stuffed shells on a lined baking sheet in the freezer just long enough for the outsides to harden slightly. This will prevent them from sticking together in the freezer. Then, place the shells in a freezer-safe sealed container or in a baking dish you could use to reheat them in later. Cover with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil if freezing in a baking dish. When ready to serve, remove the shells from the freezer. You can either cook the shells from frozen, or allow them to thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat the shells, covered in foil, in an oven-safe container at 350 until heated through. Hope this helps. Enjoy!