Beef and Mushroom Stuffed Shells

Ingredients

• 0.5 jumbos pasta shells , 16-ounce package
• 0.5 pounds ground beef
• 8 ounces button mushrooms , minced
• 1 cup whole milk ricotta
• 1 large egg
• 2 cloves garlic , minced
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 15 ounces prepared tomato sauce
• 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. 2

   Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Stir in shells and return to a boil. Cook pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 10 minutes. Drain shells and set aside.

3. 3

   Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir ground beef in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Add mushrooms; cook and stir until mushrooms have softened and released their liquid, about 5 minutes. Drain and discard excess fat. Transfer meat mixture to a separate bowl and allow to cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.

4. 4

   Stir ricotta cheese, egg, garlic, and oregano into cooled meat mixture until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.

5. 5

   Add 1/2 of tomato sauce to the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Fill each shell with about 1 teaspoon meat mixture and place filling-side-up in the baking dish. Repeat with remaining shells and filling. Spread remaining tomato sauce over shells, and sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese.

6. 6

   Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted and starting to brown, approximately 25 minutes. Serve immediately.