Stuffed Caccavelle Pasta Bake with Ricotta and Beef

Stuffed Caccavelle Pasta Bake with Ricotta and Beef: Giant Pasta Shells Baked Until Golden and Bubbling

This Stuffed Caccavelle Pasta Bake with Ricotta and Beef is the kind of recipe that makes everyone stop for a second when it lands on the table. These beautiful giant pasta shells are layered with creamy ricotta, savoury minced beef, smooth homemade tomato sauce, and melted mozzarella, then baked until bubbling and golden on top. It has all the comfort of a classic baked pasta dish, but the individual presentation makes it feel extra special without being complicated. If you love cosy oven-baked dinners like my Stuffed Caccavelle Pasta Bake with Beef Ragù and Béchamel or creamy vegetarian pasta bakes like my Stuffed Pasta Shells with Mushrooms, Ricotta and Spinach, this recipe is absolutely one to save.

Stuffed Caccavelle Pasta Bake with Ricotta and Beef fresh from the oven — Golden baked Stuffed Caccavelle Pasta Bake with Ricotta and Beef and a perfect mozzarella cheese pull.

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Simple Ingredients, Big Flavours

The beauty of this recipe is how a few familiar ingredients turn into something that feels generous, rich, and restaurant-worthy. The sauce is slow-cooked until silky, the beef is seasoned simply but deeply, and the ricotta layer brings that creamy softness that works so well with tomato and mozzarella. It is a little like the comfort of my Baked Ricotta Stuffed Shells in Meat Sauce but with a more dramatic presentation.

Key Ingredients

Caccavelle pasta shells – These extra-large pasta shells are perfect for stuffing and baking. I used Caccavelle from La Fabbrica della Pasta di Gragnano, the brand best known for creating and popularising this signature pasta format. If you enjoy impressive baked pasta dishes, you may also love my Stuffed Caccavelle Pasta Bake with Beef Ragù and Béchamel.
Tomato sauce base – Onion, carrot, celery, tomato paste, chopped tomatoes, water, milk, bay leaf, and basil create a smooth, balanced sauce with sweetness, freshness, and depth. The milk helps soften the acidity of the tomatoes, which is a small detail that makes the sauce taste rounder. For more tomato-based comfort dishes, try my Potato Lasagna.
Minced beef layer – The beef is cooked with olive oil, salt, pepper, and freshly grated nutmeg. Nutmeg may sound like a small addition, but it gives the meat a warm, almost cosy depth that works beautifully with ricotta and tomato sauce. If you enjoy hearty recipes with beef, you may also like my Stuffed Giant Pepper
Ricotta filling – Ricotta, egg, salt, and pepper create a creamy layer that sets gently while baking. It keeps the stuffed pasta soft, rich, and satisfying without making the dish feel too heavy. Ricotta lovers should also try my Roasted Pepper and Ricotta Pasta and my 20-Minute Spinach Ricotta Pasta
Mozzarella and basil – Mozzarella melts into that golden, bubbling topping we all secretly fight over, while fresh basil adds a final lift before serving. This combination gives the recipe that classic Italian-style finish, similar to the cheesy comfort in my Baked Cannelloni with Beef and Mozzarella

How to Make Stuffed Caccavelle Pasta Bake with Ricotta and Beef

Preparing the Tomato Sauce

Start by preparing the sauce, as it needs time to simmer and develop flavour. Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat, then add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery. Season with salt and black pepper, stir well, and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened slightly. Stir in the tomato paste and let it cook for another minute to deepen the flavour. Add the chopped tomatoes, then pour 120 ml (½ cup) water into the empty tomato cans, swirl it around to rinse out any remaining tomato, and add this tomato water to the pot. Add the bay leaf, mix everything well, cover, and cook gently over low heat for about 1 hour, or until the sauce has thickened and the vegetables are tender.

Adding a bay leaf to homemade tomato sauce for stuffed Caccavelle pasta bake — A bay leaf adds subtle depth and richness to the slow-simmered tomato sauce.

Finishing and Blending the Sauce

Once the sauce has thickened, add the milk to balance the acidity of the tomatoes, then stir in the chopped fresh basil. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning with more salt and black pepper if needed. Remove and discard the bay leaf, then blend the sauce until smooth using an immersion blender. You can also transfer the sauce to a food processor and blend it in batches if needed. Set the sauce aside until ready to assemble the pasta.

Blending the tomato sauce until smooth for stuffed Caccavelle pasta bake — Blend the sauce until smooth and silky for the perfect pasta filling and topping.

Preparing the Beef Layer

While the sauce is cooking, prepare the meat layer. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, then add the minced beef. Season with salt, black pepper, and freshly grated nutmeg. Cook for about 10 minutes, breaking up any larger pieces of meat with a wooden spoon as it browns. The beef should be fully cooked and lightly browned. Once ready, remove it from the heat and set aside.

Cooking minced beef with seasoning for stuffed Caccavelle pasta bake — Cook the minced beef until browned, rich, and full of flavour.

Mixing the Ricotta Layer

In a bowl, add the ricotta, egg, salt, and black pepper. Mix well until fully combined and smooth. The egg helps the ricotta layer set slightly while baking, so the filling stays creamy but holds together inside the pasta shells.

Mixing ricotta filling for stuffed Caccavelle pasta bake — Mix ricotta, egg, salt, and pepper into a smooth and creamy pasta filling.

Cooking the Pasta

Cook the Caccavelle pasta shells until al dente, following the package instructions. Since the shells are large and quite delicate, handle them gently while draining and transferring them. They will continue cooking slightly in the oven, so avoid overcooking them at this stage.

Lifting cooked Caccavelle pasta shells from boiling water — Carefully lift the giant pasta shells from the water once they reach the perfect al dente texture.

Assembling the Pasta

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F. Use 4 individual ramekins, each approximately 12 cm (4¾ inches) in diameter and 6.5 cm (2½ inches) deep. Add a little sauce to the bottom of each ramekin, then place one cooked Caccavelle shell on top. Fill each pasta shell with a layer of ricotta mixture, minced beef, sauce, and a little mozzarella. Then repeat with another layer of ricotta mixture, minced beef, and sauce. Do not add more mozzarella inside at this stage, as the remaining mozzarella will be used for the topping.

Adding the final layer of tomato sauce inside stuffed Caccavelle pasta — The final spoonful of tomato sauce is added inside the stuffed Caccavelle before baking.

Baking the Caccavelle

Spoon the remaining sauce around the pasta shells in the ramekins. Using the back of a spoon, gently brush some sauce over the exposed edges and sides of the pasta to help prevent them from drying out during baking. Top each ramekin generously with the remaining mozzarella.

Stuffed Caccavelle pasta topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella — Top the stuffed Caccavelle with extra tomato sauce and plenty of mozzarella before baking until golden and bubbling.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and the mozzarella is melted, golden, and lightly browned on top. Garnish with fresh basil leaves if desired and serve warm.

Freshly baked stuffed Caccavelle pasta with melted cheese pull — Freshly baked Caccavelle with gooey melted mozzarella

Why We Love Stuffed Caccavelle Pasta Bake

This Stuffed Caccavelle Pasta Bake is everything you want from a comforting oven-baked pasta dish. Rich tomato sauce, creamy ricotta, savoury beef, and bubbling mozzarella all layered inside giant pasta shells create a meal that feels cosy, impressive, and deeply satisfying at the same time. The individual ramekins make the presentation extra special without adding much extra work, which is exactly why this recipe works so well for both family dinners and entertaining guests. If you also enjoy easier everyday pasta recipes with rich homemade sauces, make sure to check my Roasted Tomato and Cottage Cheese Fusilli and Courgette and Cottage Cheese Pasta

Perfect for Any Occasion

Stuffed Caccavelle Pasta Bake is perfect for cosy family dinners, relaxed weekend cooking, or special occasions when you want something comforting that still feels a little elevated. It can be served individually in ramekins for a beautiful presentation or baked in one larger dish for easier sharing, and leftovers taste just as delicious the next day. If you’re looking for quicker, lighter, or higher-protein pasta ideas for busy weekdays, don’t miss my Butternut Squash Ricotta Pasta and Avocado and Burrata Pasta

Instagram Tutorial & More

Want to see this Stuffed Caccavelle Pasta Bake come together step by step? Watch the video tutorial on Instagram to see how the giant shells are filled, sauced, topped with mozzarella, and baked until golden. Don’t miss other cosy pasta and baked dinner recipes like my

Happy cooking,
Izabella

Prep Time 30 mins

Cook Time 85 mins

Total Time 1 hr 55 mins

Cooking Method: Baking

Cuisine: Italian

Courses: Dinner, Lunch

Difficulty: Beginner

Servings: 4

Best Season: Suitable throughout the year

Description

These Stuffed Caccavelle Pasta Shells are the ultimate comfort food. Giant pasta shells are layered with creamy ricotta, rich seasoned beef, smooth homemade tomato sauce, and plenty of mozzarella, then baked until golden and bubbling. The pasta stays perfectly tender while soaking up all the delicious flavours from the sauce and fillings. Served individually in ramekins, this Italian-inspired pasta bake looks impressive but is surprisingly easy to make. Perfect for cosy family dinners, entertaining guests, or whenever you’re craving a hearty and cheesy pasta dish.

Ingredients

For the sauce

1 tbsp olive oil
130 g chopped onion (¾ cup + 1 tbsp)
190 g chopped carrots (1½ cup)
90 g chopped celery (just under 1 cup)
Salt and black pepper (to taste)
2 tbsp tomato paste
800 g chopped tomatoes (2 cans, 28 oz)
120 ml water (½ cup)
1 bay leaf
120 ml milk (½ cup)
20 fresh basil leaves (chopped)

For the meat layer

1 tbsp olive oil
400 g minced beef (14 oz)
Salt and black pepper (to taste)
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

For the ricotta layer

200 g ricotta (¾ cup + 1 tbsp)
1 egg
Salt and black pepper (to taste)

Other

4 Caccavelle pasta shells
240 g mozzarella (2 cups + 2 tbsp, grated)
Fresh basil leaves (for garnish)

Instructions

1
Prepare the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Season with salt and pepper, then cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another minute to deepen the flavour. Add the chopped tomatoes, then pour 120 ml (½ cup) water into the empty tomato cans, swirl it around to rinse out any remaining tomato sauce, and add the water to the pot together with the bay leaf. Mix well, cover, and simmer gently over low heat for about 1 hour, or until the sauce has thickened and the flavours have developed. Pour in the milk to balance the acidity of the tomatoes, then stir in the chopped basil. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Remove the bay leaf, then blend the sauce until smooth using an immersion blender or food processor. Set aside.
2
Prepare the meat layer: While the sauce is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the minced beef and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Cook for about 10 minutes, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon as it browns. Once fully cooked and lightly caramelised, set aside.
3
Prepare the ricotta layer: In a bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, salt, and pepper. Mix until smooth and fully combined.
4
Cook the pasta: Cook the Caccavelle pasta shells according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain carefully and set aside.
5
Assemble the pasta: Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F. You will need 4 ramekins approximately 12 cm (4¾ inches) wide and 6.5 cm (2½ inches) deep. Spread a little sauce over the bottom of each ramekin and place one Caccavelle shell into each ramekin. Fill each shell with a layer of ricotta mixture, minced beef, sauce, and a little mozzarella, then repeat only with ricotta, minced beef, and more sauce until the pasta shells are filled. Spoon the remaining sauce around the pasta and use the back of a spoon to coat the exposed pasta edges with sauce to prevent them from drying out during baking. Top generously with the remaining mozzarella and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden and bubbling. Finish with fresh basil leaves and serve warm.

Nutrition Facts

Servings: 4 ServingCalories:622.76kcalTotal Fat:33.05gCholesterol:177.98mgSodium:582mgPotassium:1444.47mgTotal Carbohydrate:37.3gDietary Fiber: 5.7gSugars: 12.37gProtein:46.38gVitamin A: 699.57IUVitamin C: 35.59mgCalcium: 526.19mgIron: 4.06mgVitamin D: 1.05IUVitamin E: 3.29IUVitamin K: 47.71mcgVitamin B6: 0.99mgVitamin B12: 4.29mcgPhosphorus: 674.25mgMagnesium: 96.15mgZinc: 8.54mg

Note

Caccavelle pasta shells are giant pasta shells traditionally used for stuffed pasta dishes. I used Caccavelle from La Fabbrica della Pasta di Gragnano, the brand best known for creating and popularising this signature pasta format. They can usually be found in Italian speciality food shops or ordered online through gourmet Italian food retailers.
If you can’t find Caccavelle pasta, you can substitute it with smaller pasta shells such as conchiglioni. Simply prepare the same sauce, ricotta filling, and beef layer, then stuff the smaller shells, arrange them in a baking dish, cover with extra sauce and mozzarella, and bake until golden and bubbling.
This recipe is specifically designed for 4 individual ramekins measuring approximately 12 cm (4¾ inches) wide and 6.5 cm (2½ inches) deep. If baking everything in one larger dish instead, you may need to slightly adjust the ingredient quantities depending on the size and depth of your baking dish.
Coating the exposed pasta edges with sauce before baking helps prevent the pasta from drying out or becoming chewy in the oven.
Rinsing the tomato cans with water adds extra flavour to the sauce and ensures none of the tomatoes go to waste.
The milk added to the sauce helps balance the acidity of the tomatoes and creates a smoother, richer flavour.
The tomato sauce can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and stored in the fridge until ready to use. The flavour becomes even richer after resting overnight.
Freshly grated nutmeg adds warmth and depth to the beef filling. It’s subtle but makes a big difference to the final flavour.
For extra flavour, you can add a little grated Parmesan between the layers or on top together with the mozzarella.
This pasta bake is high in protein thanks to the beef, ricotta, and mozzarella filling.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven covered with foil, or microwave until hot throughout.
If the mozzarella begins browning too quickly during baking, loosely cover the ramekins with foil for the remaining baking time.

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