Italian Sausage Stuffed Shells Recipe
My Italian sausage stuffed shells are jumbo pasta shells packed with a cheesy ricotta and Italian sausage filling, nestled into my homemade marinara, and baked under more melted, gooey mozzarella. It takes about an hour to make so it's a good weekend dinner but also perfect to make ahead or reheat on weeknights.
Servings: 8 (Makes 22-24 shells)
Calories: 533kcal
Ingredients
- 3.5 cups marinara sauce
Pasta:
- 24 jumbo pasta shells (about 8 oz) (plus 3-4 extra just in case)
Cheesy Italian Sausage Filling:
- 2 Tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
- 1/2 yellow onion
- 1 red bell pepper
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 lb mild or spicy ground Italian sausage
- 10 oz whole milk ricotta cheese
- 6 oz shredded Italian cheese mix
- 1 large egg
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2-1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2-1 tsp kosher coarse salt more or less to taste
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 5-6 fresh basil leaves minced
Topping:
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 tsp dried oregano
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish.
Cook pasta shells:
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt it well. TIP: Salt helps flavor the pasta, so good rule of thumb is about 1 tbsp of kosher coarse salt (or sea salt) per every 2 to 2.5 quarts of water.
- TIP: I always throw in a few extra shells because some always crack apart or rip.
- Cook jumbo shells pasta according to the package instructions until they are al dente. You want the shells to be just slightly under-cooked because they will finish cooking in the oven.
- Once cooked, strain, and set aside on a cutting board to cool down enough to be handled. Separate them gently so they don't stick together.
Cheesy Italian Sausage Filling:
- Dice onion and bell pepper and smash and mince the garlic cloves.
- Preheat a pan over medium heat and add some oil. Add onion and bell peppers and sauté until softened. (Tip: you can use the same pot where you cooked the pasta if it's comfortable. Less dishes, yay!)
- Add garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, and garlic powder and sauté just until fragrant. (Just about 30-45 seconds.)
- Add ground Italian sausage and break up as much clumps as you can. Continue to cook the sausage, breaking up clumps as it cooks, until sausage is cooked through.
- Transfer the sausage and veggie mixture into a large mixing bowl and let it cool for a few minutes.
- Add the ricotta cheese, egg, shredded Italian cheese mix, Italian seasoning, minced basil, and salt and mix everything until evenly combined.
Stuffing and Baking Italian Sausage Stuffed Shells:
- Spread the marinara sauce over the bottom of the prepared baking dish and spread it evenly.
- Fill each cooked shell with about 2 tablespoons worth of mixture. (Use your judgement as some brands of jumbo shells are larger than others, so exact amount of filling is hard to measure.)
- Nestle the stuffed shells into the sauce. TIP: make sure to place the stuffed shells in the baking dish with the opening up and keep them straight to prevent the filling from leaking out.
- Spread mozzarella cheese over the top of each stuffed shell and rub the dried oregano between your palms as you spread it over the top of cheese and shells. (It will smell so good, plus makes it much finer so it spreads better.)
- Bake for about 20-25 minutes until cheese is melted and edges are bubbling.
Notes
- Make Ahead: Assemble the shells in the sauce but don’t bake. Cover airtight and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Let the dish sit on the counter while the oven preheats, add the mozzarella and oregano, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes (no need to cover).
- Storing: Cool to room temperature, cover airtight, and refrigerate for 3 to 4 days.
- Reheating: Microwave individual portions in 30 to 40 second increments, or cover with foil and reheat at 350°F for 15 to 25 minutes, until heated through.
- Freezing: Assemble in an aluminum foil pan up to the baking step, wrap airtight with plastic wrap and foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake covered at 350°F for about 60 minutes, then uncovered for 10 minutes. (Beware that there will be a texture change from freezing and thawing.)
- Sausage substitutes: Ground beef works very well but you would need to adjust the seasoning, increasing it a bit. Other sausage, like Italian chicken or turkey sausage works too.
Nutrition
Serving: 3shells | Calories: 533kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 1239mg | Potassium: 634mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1277IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 239mg | Iron: 3mg