Featuring pasta, ground beef, marinara, pesto, and plenty of melty, gooey cheese – this hearty comfort dish is a family favorite!
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this easy recipe, so let's round them up and get started!
Cook the jumbo pasta shells according to the package instructions, until they are al dente. Drain and set aside to cool.
Heat olive oil in a skillet and add onion, ground beef, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Cook 8-9 minutes, then drain excess fat and let cool slightly.
Combine the ricotta cheese, shredded Italian cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg and egg yolk, pesto, chopped basil, salt, and pepper.
Fold in half the beef mixture until everything is thoroughly combined. Set aside.
Stir the marinara sauce into the remaining beef mixture, right in the skillet. Season with salt and black pepper, if desired. Set aside.
Spread half of the meat sauce in bottom of baking dish, then place pasta shells in dish, filling each with cheesy beef mixture.
Pour the remaining marinara over the stuffed shells and sprinkle the remaining shredded Italian cheese blend over the top.
Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
Garnish with fresh basil leaves right before serving.