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Short Rib Stuffed Shells

Short rib stuffed shells are the ultimate fancy comfort food that can be made at home. Ideal for a special dinner party or holiday meal, these cheesy shells are covered in a short rib ragu and lots of cheese, then baked until bubbly and hot. Delish!
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Ingredients

short rib sauce

  • 3 pounds bone-in beef short ribs
  • 1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
  • kosher salt and pepper
  • 1 cup beef stock
  • 1 sweet onion, diced
  • 2 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • cup dry red wine
  • 14- ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes

stuffed shells & filling

Instructions 

  • Pat the short ribs completely dry with a paper towel. Season them all over liberally with salt and pepper.
  • Heat a large dutch oven over medium-high heat - or use your slow cooker on the saute setting if you have one. Add the oil. Add the short ribs in a single layer and sear on both sides until deeply golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.
  • Transfer the short ribs to your slow cooker (or keep them in there if you sauteed them in the crock). Pour in ½ cup of beef stock - keep the remaining ½ cup for the sauce. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, until the short ribs are falling off the bone.
  • Once finished, remove the bones and pull apart the beef with two forks. If your slow cooker has the saute setting, turn it to the highest heat. You don’t need any oil or anything extra, just use what is in the crock. If you transfer to a dutch oven, you will need a drizzle of oil and heat over medium heat.
  • Once the pot (or slow cooker) is hot, stir in the diced onions and carrots with a sprinkle of salt. Cook until softened, about 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add in the rest wine to deglaze the pan.
  • Add the pulled short ribs to the vegetables. Stir in the tomatoes and the remaining beef stock. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce it to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes uncovered, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes more.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Make the shell filling and follow the directions below.

stuffed shells & filling

  • Cook the pasta shells according to the package directions, then drain and separate them so they don’t stick together. I put them on a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet.
  • Stir together the ricotta, 2 cups of the mozzarella cheese, the parmesan, egg, basil, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir until fully combined.
  • Fill each of the pasta shells with the ricotta mixture. I start with 2 tablespoons then go in and fill each one up to use all the ricotta.
  • To bake, spread a spoonful of the short rib sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Place the shells in the dish next. Spoon all the remaining short rib sauce over the shells evenly. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with a bit of parmesan.
  • Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until warm and bubbly and cheesy. If at any time the top is getting too dark, you can tent it with foil.
  • Sprinkle with parmesan and fresh basil before serving. Let rest for 15 minutes. Serve!
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