Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Shells
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These amazing Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Shells combines the best of both worlds! All the delicious flavors of Philly cheesesteak are baked in jumbo pasta shells, then smothered with a rich and decadent delicious cheese sauce for the ultimate comfort food!
I don’t know about your family, but when we want a warm, comforting and delicious meal, pasta recipes always come to mind. We love pasta in any shape, form or fashion, and not just because most pasta dishes are super easy to make. They’re also hearty and filling and usually brimming with some type of delicious gooey cheese or decadent creamy sauce.
Two of my best easy go-to pasta recipes are Chicken Pasta Bake and this Easy Homemade Lasagna. But I am super excited to share a new recipe that’ll take your pasta game to a whole new level.
Stuffed jumbo pasta shells, or “conchiglie,” in Italian, are filled with all the same delicious flavors you expect to find in a Philly cheesesteak recipe, but it doesn’t stop there.
Next, they are smothered in a rich home alfredo sauce and a layer of cheese, then baked until warm and bubbly. Let me tell you, these stuffed shells are what pasta dreams are made of!
Why We Love This Recipe:
- Super cheesy: This pasta dish is loaded with cheesy goodness from using not two, not three, but FOUR types of cheese!
- Simple ingredients: Even though the list of ingredients is longer than my usual list, they are all basic ingredients you probably already have on hand or can be readily found at any grocery store.
- Feeds a crowd: This recipe makes a whole 9×13 size casserole, which is great when you need to feed a lot of people. Don’t worry if you’re only feeding a few though. These leftovers are even better the next day, and they freeze great too!
What’s Needed for this Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Shells Recipe
For the Filling
- Olive oil
- Ground beef
- Worcestershire sauce
- Ketchup
- Garlic cloves
- Green bell pepper
- Onion, sliced
- Ricotta cheese
- Provolone slices
- Jumbo pasta shells
- Salt and black pepper to taste
For the Alfredo Sauce
- Mushrooms (optional)
- Garlic clove
- Butter
- Half and half (or heavy cream)
- Cream cheese
- Italian seasoning
- Parmesan cheese
- Salt and black pepper to taste
How to Make Philly Cheese Steak Stuffed Pasta Shells
To Make the Filling
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Step 1. Bring a large pot of water to boil with salt to cook the pasta.
Step 2. While waiting on the water, brown ground beef over medium heat in a large cast iron skillet. Remove from pan.
Step 3. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the oil from ground beef and add olive oil to the large skillet. Sauté onion and bell peppers together.
Step 4. Once onion is translucent and the peppers are soft, add minced garlic and sauté until fragrant around 1 minute.
Step 5. Add the ground beef back into the pan.
Step 6. Add one tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, salt and pepper. Stir and cook together for a few minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Step 7. Cook the box of shells, adjusting the time for 3 minutes less cooking time than the package directions.
Step 9. In a large bowl, mix the ricotta cheese and 1/2 cup provolone cheese.
Step 10. Add the meat mixture and combine.
Step 11. Stuff each cooked pasta shell with cheese and ground beef mixture and place in rows in a 13×9 baking dish.
To Make the Homemade Alfredo Sauce
Step 1. In a medium skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter and cook sliced mushrooms until water is released.
Step 2. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant. Remove from pan and set aside. Clean out pan.
Step 3. Melt the rest of the butter in cleaned pan. Add the cream cheese and melt together.
Step 4. Slowly add the half and half, stirring until smooth.
Step 5. Add the seasonings and parmesan cheese and stir until smooth and the sauce begins to thicken.
Step 6. Add the mushrooms back and salt and pepper to taste.
Step 7. Pour sauce around the stuffed jumbo shells.
Step 8. Top with remaining 1/4 cup of provolone cheese
Step 9. Place in the oven for 25 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and the cheese is melted.
Step 10. Serve hot with parsley to garnish.
You sure can! This pasta dish should be frozen just like any other casserole. Let it cool until it gets to room temperature, cover it with plastic wrap and then a layer of foil and place it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat, place in the fridge over night until thawed, then reheat on 350 degrees until warmed through.
Can I use Red Sauce for Cheesesteak Pasta Shells?
This is such an amazingly versatile dish because you can change up almost any element. If you want to give this recipe an Italian flavor, you can certainly use marinara.
Or for something extra special you can make a rose sauce by mixing the sauce using1/2 marinara with 1/2 alfredo.
Can I use another type of pasta with Philly Cheesesteak Shells?
Similar to this Easy One-Skillet Philly Cheesesteak Pasta, you can make a “deconstructed” version of this stuffed shells recipe using any of your favorite pastas. You could even layer it between layer of lasagna noodles.
What Kind of Beef Makes the Best Philly Cheesesteak Shells?
Using a blend of 85/15 ground beef gives the shells wonderful flavor. But if you want something a little more decadent you can use thinly shaved steak, like a ribeye steak or New York strip.
If you want a budget-friendly option, you can also use shaved deli roast beef.
Philly Cheesesteak Pasta Shells Tips and Variations
- When boiling the pasta shells, remember they will continue to cook for about 25 minutes in the oven. So, you’ll want to stop boiling them right before the al dente stage but when they are loose enough for you open up to add the filling.
- Don’t skip salting the pasta water. This is an important step in giving the pasta good flavor.
- This recipe calls for fresh ground beef, but you can use a mix of Italian sausage and beef. For something lighter, you can use ground turkey or ground chicken.
- You can change up the kind of cheese you use if you prefer. Instead of provolone you can use mozzarella, cheddar or any type of good melty cheese. For the ricotta, you can use small curd cottage cheese, but you’ll want to drain it first.
- The luscious homemade alfredo sauce in the recipe is super easy to make but if you need a short cut, there are some really great store-bought brands of alfredo you can use instead.
Want More Hearty Dinner Recipes?
Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Shells
Equipment
Ingredients
For The Philly Cheesesteak Filling
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 1 onion sliced
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 3/4 cup provolone slices chopped
- 1 box jumbo shells
- Salt & pepper to taste
For The Alfredo Sauce
- 8 ounces mushrooms sliced (optional)
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 stick butter
- 1 cup half and half
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
For The Shells
- Preheat oven to 350. Bring a large pot of water to boil with salt to cook the pasta.
- While waiting on the water, brown ground beef over medium heat in a large cast iron skillet. Remove from pan
- Reserve 1 tablespoon of the oil from ground beef and add olive oil to the large skillet. Sauté onion and bell peppers together.
- Once onion is translucent and the peppers are soft, add minced garlic and sauté until fragrant around 1 minute.
- Add the ground beef back into the pan, then add one tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, salt and pepper. Stir and cook together for a few minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Cook the box of shells, adjusting the time for 3 minutes less cooking time than the package directions.
- In a large bowl, mix the ricotta cheese and 1/2 cup provolone cheese.
- Add the meat mixture and combine.
- Stuff each cooked pasta shell with cheese and ground beef mixture and place in rows in a 13×9 baking dish.
For The Sauce
- In a medium skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter and cook sliced mushrooms until water is released.
- Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant. Remove from pan and set aside. Clean out pan.
- Melt the rest of the butter in cleaned pan. Add the cream cheese and melt together.
- Slowly add the half and half, stirring until smooth.
- Add the seasonings and parmesan cheese and stir until smooth and the sauce begins to thicken.
- Add the mushrooms back and salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour sauce around the stuffed jumbo shells, then top with remaining 1/4 cup of provolone cheese
- Place in the oven for 25 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and the cheese is melted. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve hot.
Notes
- When boiling pasta shells, remember that they'll continue to cook for about 25 minutes in the oven. You’ll want to stop boiling them right before the al dente stage but when they are loose enough for you open up to add the filling.
- This recipe calls for fresh ground beef, but you can use a mix of Italian sausage and beef. For something lighter, you can use ground turkey or ground chicken.
Nutrition
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