Published by Best Fitness Routine. Editorial standards · Report a correction. Educational guidance; no individual clinical review is claimed unless a qualified reviewer is named.
About This Healthy Recipe
These healthy taco-stuffed pasta shells use lean beef, black beans, corn and vegetables in a tomato sauce. The measured cheese topping is smaller than in many rich stuffed-shell casseroles, and each quarter batch is a complete dinner.
Use jumbo shells, cook them slightly short of al dente and make a thick filling. The shells finish in the covered sauce, which also helps keep the freezer portions moist.
This is a Tex-Mex-inspired pasta dish rather than a traditional taco recipe. The nutrition uses regular dry wheat pasta because jumbo whole-wheat shells are not consistently available; use an exact label if yours differs.
Why Readers May Like It
- 1Measured portions and clear freezing and reheating guidance.
- 2Clear dry, cooked and drained ingredient weights.
- 3A complete four-serving meal with practical cooking cues.
Recipe Summary and Estimated Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated from the listed ingredient weights and the specific USDA records or manufacturer references linked below. Weights labeled dry, cooked or drained must be matched to that state.
4 servings
One serving is one quarter of the base batch. Values are estimates rather than laboratory analysis.
Per one quarter of the base recipe
Per one quarter of the base recipe
Per one quarter of the base recipe
Per one quarter of the base recipe
Brands, drained weights, substitutions and final serving sizes can change these values.
Ingredient-by-Ingredient Nutrition Breakdown
Gram weights are the calculation basis; household measures are approximate. Cooking water is listed for preparation, and drained water is not included.
| Ingredient | Amount used | Weight | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jumbo pasta shells, dry | about 12 large shells | 200 g | 742 kcal | 26.1 g | 149.3 g | 3 g |
| Raw ground beef, 95% lean | about 12 oz | 350 g | 480 kcal | 74.9 g | 0 g | 17.5 g |
| Cooked black beans, drained | about 1 3/4 cups | 300 g | 396 kcal | 26.6 g | 71.1 g | 1.6 g |
| Frozen corn kernels | about 1 cup | 150 g | 132 kcal | 4.5 g | 31.1 g | 1.2 g |
| Crushed tomatoes, canned | about 2 1/2 cups | 600 g | 192 kcal | 9.8 g | 43.7 g | 1.7 g |
| Red bell pepper, diced | 1 large | 200 g | 52 kcal | 2 g | 12.1 g | 0.6 g |
| Onion, diced | 1 small | 120 g | 48 kcal | 1.3 g | 11.2 g | 0.1 g |
| Cheddar cheese, shredded | about 1/2 cup | 60 g | 242 kcal | 13.7 g | 2 g | 20 g |
| Olive oil | 1 tablespoon | 14 g | 124 kcal | 0 g | 0 g | 14 g |
| Garlic, minced | 2 cloves | 8 g | 12 kcal | 0.5 g | 2.6 g | 0 g |
| Ground cumin | about 1 teaspoon | 2 g | 8 kcal | 0.4 g | 0.9 g | 0.4 g |
| Paprika | about 1 teaspoon | 2 g | 6 kcal | 0.3 g | 1.1 g | 0.3 g |
| Table salt | about 1/6 teaspoon | 1 g | 0 kcal | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g |
| Black pepper | about 1/2 teaspoon | 1 g | 3 kcal | 0.1 g | 0.6 g | 0 g |
| Full recipe estimate | 4 servings | — | 2437 kcal | 160.2 g | 325.7 g | 60.4 g |
How This Nutrition Estimate Was Prepared
- Match each listed ingredient to its linked food record or stated label reference.
- Multiply the per-100-g values by the listed gram weight and add the unrounded ingredient values.
- Divide the full calculation by four servings, then round for the cards.
- Recalculate if you change the ingredient brand, amount or serving yield.
Ingredient cells are rounded independently. The footer sums displayed cells; per-serving cards use the unrounded calculation, so small rounding differences are expected. Cooking-water losses affect finished weight, not the fixed four-serving calculation.
Ingredients
Measured ingredients
Step-by-Step Preparation
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Equipment links are paid affiliate links; use suitable tools you already own.
Equipment
- Large lidded cooking pot (paid link)
- Colander (paid link)
- Chef’s knife (paid link)
- Cutting board (paid link)
- Skillet with lid (paid link)
- Cooking spoon (paid link)
- Oven-safe baking dish (paid link)
- Instant-read food thermometer (paid link)
- Oven gloves (paid link)
- Freezer-safe meal containers (paid link)
Before You Start
Use jumbo shells, cook them slightly short of al dente and make a thick filling. The shells finish in the covered sauce, which also helps keep the freezer portions moist.
Allow about 60 minutes. Components can overlap; use the doneness cues rather than the clock alone. Keep surfaces and utensils clean. Chilling and freezing time is additional to the preparation and cooking time shown.
Prepare the shells and vegetables
10 minutesHeat the oven to 375°F / 190°C conventional, or 350°F / 175°C fan. Boil shells in a large pot to about two minutes short of the package’s al dente time. Drain gently in a colander (paid link) and spread on a clean plate. Dice pepper and onion.
Brown the beef mixture
8–10 minutesHeat oil in a skillet. Add onion, bell pepper and beef and break up the meat. Cook until beef reaches 160°F / 71°C, then stir in garlic, cumin and paprika for one minute.
Thicken the filling
6–8 minutesStir in black beans, corn, 250 g tomatoes, salt and pepper. Simmer until the mixture is thick enough to hold inside shells. Crush a few beans against the pan to bind it without extra cheese.
Fill the pasta shells
8 minutesSpread the remaining 350 g tomatoes in a 2.5–3-quart / 2.5–3-liter oven-safe baking dish (paid link). Fill the shells with the beef-bean mixture and set in one layer. Spoon any excess filling around the shells and add the measured cheese.
Bake covered, then uncover
25–30 minutesCover the dish with a suitable lid or foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover for another 5–10 minutes until the shells are tender and the sauce bubbles.
Check the center and divide
5 minutesUse a clean instant-read food thermometer (paid link) in the central shells. The completed hot filling should reach 165°F / 74°C. Divide into four servings with three shells each, or an equal fraction if shell counts differ.
Chill freezer portions safely
Within 2 hoursTransfer meal portions and sauce to shallow freezer-safe meal containers (paid link) portions and refrigerate promptly. Close and label once chilled, then freeze.
How to Know It Is Ready
Beef reaches 160°F / 71°C initially; assembled hot filling reaches 165°F / 74°C.
Tender shells containing a moist, thick taco-style filling.
One quarter of every component, usually three large shells.
What This Meal Provides and What to Consider
Meal Balance
- The measured batch supplies about 40.1 g protein per serving.
- Vegetables and the listed grain or legume portions make this a full meal, rather than a protein-only snack.
Things to Consider
- Contains wheat and milk.
- Tomato and cheese labels influence sodium. No low-sodium claim is made.
Who May Enjoy This Recipe?
Freezer meal planning
People looking for a practical meal with a measured grain, protein or legume component.
Home cooking
This is a Tex-Mex-inspired pasta dish rather than a traditional taco recipe. The nutrition uses regular dry wheat pasta because jumbo whole-wheat shells are not consistently available; use an exact label if yours differs.
Measured portions
People who want to understand how ingredient weights relate to a four-serving batch.
How to Adjust the Meal
Smaller appetite
Serve a smaller portion and save the rest. Recalculate nutrition for the portion you actually eat rather than labeling an unchanged serving low-calorie.
Larger appetite
Add vegetables or another suitable accompaniment, and include those ingredients in the meal calculation.
Protein adjustments
If changing raw ground beef, 95% lean, check its product label and recalculate. A larger amount may also change texture and cooking requirements.
Substitutions, Dietary Notes, and Allergens
Practical Substitutions
- Use equal-weight 93% lean ground turkey and cook it to 165°F / 74°C; recalculate nutrition.
- Replace corn with diced zucchini at the same weight and reduce the filling until thick.
Allergen Information
Contains wheat and milk.
Check packaged ingredient labels for the allergens relevant to you. A substitution changes both the recipe and the calculation.
Storage and Meal Preparation
Refrigerate perishable food within 2 hours, or within 1 hour when the surroundings exceed 90°F (32°C). Use shallow containers and a refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or colder. Use cooked leftovers within 3–4 days; reheat hot leftovers to 165°F (74°C). Keep clean ready-to-eat sauces separate when that helps preserve texture.
Freezing This Meal
Freeze cooked, chilled portions with the sauce at 0°F / −18°C; aim to use within 2–3 months for best quality.
Thawing and Reheating
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat covered at 350°F / 175°C or microwave in a suitable container, rotating the portions and checking more than one shell. Reach 165°F / 74°C throughout. Add a small splash of water if sauce thickens.
Preparation and cooking times describe making the fresh batch. Chilling, freezer storage, thawing and later reheating require additional time. Do not thaw perishable meals on the counter.
Frequently Asked Questions
They cannot hold this filling. For a different casserole, mix cooked small shells with the filling, but keep the measured dry pasta quantity and adjust the baking interval.
This version is fully cooked before chilling and freezing. Cooked portions are easier to divide and reheat evenly than a deep, frozen assembled tray.
The listed ingredients provide an estimated 40.1 g protein per one quarter of the batch. Brands and portions can change this value.
Use the 2× or 3× control for gram quantities and serving count. Keep the per-serving estimate as a base guide; use larger cookware or batches and check doneness rather than multiplying the cooking time.
Nutrition Sources and Recipe Notes
These values are planning estimates, not individualized nutrition advice. Use the labels for your exact products when precision is important. The recipe has not been kitchen-tested and the image is a generated illustration of the intended dish.
Nutrition Data Sources
See our Nutrition Calculation Methodology for weights, rounding and substitutions.
Food Safety Reference
Freezer Storage Reference
Recipe development note: this page does not claim independent kitchen testing. The image is illustrative and does not document a tested result. Ingredient-based nutrition estimates can change with brands, weighing state, preparation and serving size; use exact labels when precision matters.
Useful Tools for This Recipe
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The links below are paid affiliate links.
These are the tools used in the preparation above. Use suitable equipment you already own, or compare options if you need an item.
Large lidded cooking pot
Choose a pot large enough for the batch, with a well-fitting lid and a base suitable for your stove.
Compare on Amazon →Paid link · opens in a new tabColander
Drain the noodles without leaving excess cooking water.
Compare on Amazon →Paid link · opens in a new tabChef’s knife
Cut the recipe ingredients into the specified sizes.
Compare on Amazon →Paid link · opens in a new tabCutting board
Use a clean preparation surface and separate raw meat from ready-to-eat food.
Compare on Amazon →Paid link · opens in a new tabSkillet with lid
Choose a pan large enough for the method; check oven safety where required.
Compare on Amazon →Paid link · opens in a new tabCooking spoon
Stir sauces and fillings and divide the measured cooked ingredients.
Compare on Amazon →Paid link · opens in a new tabOven-safe baking dish
Choose a roomy 2.5–3-quart / 2.5–3-liter dish, or multiple smaller dishes. Follow temperature-change instructions and avoid thermal shock.
Compare on Amazon →Paid link · opens in a new tabInstant-read food thermometer
Check the stated safe center temperature rather than relying on surface color alone.
Compare on Amazon →Paid link · opens in a new tabOven gloves
Protect your hands when moving the hot tray or oven-safe pan.
Compare on Amazon →Paid link · opens in a new tabFreezer-safe meal containers
Choose shallow containers rated for freezing, with suitable expansion space. Transfer food to oven-safe cookware for oven reheating unless the maker explicitly permits it.
Compare on Amazon →Paid link · opens in a new tab
