Stuffed Shells with Italian Sausage
Jumbo pasta shells stuffed with a 4-cheese mixture and topped with a delicious italian sausage meat sauce. These Stuffed Shells with Italian Sausage are out of this world. Loaded with flavor and are make-ahead and freezer friendly. This crowd pleaser is perfect to serve guests at a dinner party.
This hearty pasta dish has become one of my favorite pasta dishes, and I have a lot of favorites. It's hard to beat jumbo shells stuffed with a ricotta, parmesan, romano and mozzarella mixture.
This 4-cheese mixture is SOOOO good. The italian sausage meat sauce on top is the icing on the cake. I also added a little spinach to the filling, to add extra nutrients. That makes these stuffed shells healthy, right?
This dish is absolutely delicious, and I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does. We love to serve it along with some delicious garlic bread.
Don't be alarmed by the lengthy ingredient list. This recipe does come together pretty fast. The longest part of the recipe is making the meat sauce from scratch, which isn't hard. The meat sauce provides so much savory flavor.
If you are wanting to make this dish even faster use your favorite marinara sauce. The italian sausage can also be omitted or replaced with ground beef or ground turkey.
How to Make Stuffed Shells with Italian Sausage
- Boil the pasta. Boil the shells until al dente. Make sure to salt the water. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Drain and set aside.
- Make pasta sauce. While the shells are cooking, start the pasta sauce by placing a large skillet over medium heat. Add in the italian sausage and onions. Cook, crumbling up the meat as it cooks, until the meat is browned and cooked through. Add in the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Next pour in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and 3/4 cup of reserved pasta water. Add in all of the seasonings. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20-30 minutes.
- Make filling. Sauté the spinach until wilted, add in the garlic and red pepper flakes, sauté for 30 seconds. Rough chop the spinach then add to a medium bowl. Combine the cheeses with the spinach, parsley, pepper, egg and heavy cream. Mix well.
- Assemble the stuffed shells. Spread 1/2 of the pasta sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 dish, or large oven safe skillet. Stuff the shells with the cheese mixture and place in the baking dish. Top with the remaining pasta sauce. Sprinkle over the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
- Bake. Place in a 375° F oven for 45 minutes.
- Serve. Garnish with parsley and serve. Enjoy!
Storing Stuffed Shells
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
Freeze in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 4 months.
How to Make Stuffed Shells with Italian Sausage in Advance
- Fully assemble, let cool completely, cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. When ready to cook, remove from the oven 30-45 minutes before cooking. Add an additional 10-15 minutes to the cooking time. Remove the cover and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes to lightly brown the cheese.
- To freeze fully assemble, let cool completely, cover with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 4 months. Thaw completely in the refrigerator overnight before cooking. Remove the plastic wrap, place foil back on and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes to lightly brown the cheese.
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Tried This Recipe?
Jumbo pasta shells stuffed with a 4-cheese mixture and topped with a delicious italian sausage meat sauce. These Stuffed Shells with Italian Sausage are out of this world.
- 18-20 jumbo pasta shells
- 1/2 cup onion (small diced)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound italian sausage
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 14 ounces tomato sauce
- 10 ounces diced tomatoes (petite diced)
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup reserved pasta water
- 2 tablespoons fresh parlsey (chopped, plus more for garnishing)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 cups fresh spinach (rinsed)
- 1 pinch red pepper plakes
- 1 cup romano cheese (shredded)
- 1 cup parmesan cheese (shredded, reserve 1/4 for top)
- 2 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese (shredded, reserve 1 1/2 cups for top)
- 3/4 cup ricotta cheese
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream (or milk)
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 large egg
Boil pasta (in salted water) until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Drain and set aside.
While the pasta is cooking start the filling and pasta sauce. In a large skillet over medium heat add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add in the spinach and sauté until wilted, about 2 minutes. Next add in the minced garlic (the 3 cloves for the filling) and red pepper flakes. Sauté for 30 seconds and remove from the pan. Place on a cutting board and roughly chop. Add to a medium sized bowl.
Into the bowl with the spinach, combine all of the romano cheese, 3/4 cup of the parmesan cheese, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese and all of the ricotta cheese. Next mix in 2 tablespoons of parsley, pepper, egg and heavy cream. Mix until well combined.
In the same pan that you cooked the spinach in add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add in the italian sausage and onions. Cook, crumbling up the meat as it cooks, until the meat is browned and cooked through. Add in the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
Next pour in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and 3/4 cup of reserved pasta water. Add in all of the seasonings (basil, oregano, pepper, salt). Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20-30 minutes. If the sauce is too thick add in the remaining reserved pasta water.
Preheat the oven to 375° F. Spread 1/2 of the pasta sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 dish, or large oven safe skillet. Stuff the shells with the cheese mixture and place in the baking dish. Top with the remaining pasta sauce, spreading evenly. Sprinkle over the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
Place in a 375° F oven for 45 minutes. If you want the top to be browned, bump up the heat a little and continue baking for a few more minutes until lightly browned. Garnish with parsley and serve. Enjoy!
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