Stuffed Shells with Italian Sausage is the ultimate comfort food—jumbo pasta shells filled with a creamy 4-cheese blend, topped with a rich and savory sausage tomato sauce, and baked until bubbly and golden. This hearty dish is homemade, from scratch, and freezer-friendly, making it a dinnertime win for busy weeknights or a cozy dinner party.
I’ve made a lot of pasta dishes in my day, and this one is the favorite at my house. The combo of ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, and romano is rich and flavorful, and the homemade meat sauce just brings it all together. I even sneak in some sautéed spinach for a little extra veggie boost—it blends right in with all that cheesy goodness.
👇 Jump to:
My Latest Videos
If you love this recipe, you might also enjoy my Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells or this Pasta Meat Sauce recipe—both are flavorful, family-friendly meals that are easy to make and packed with comfort.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Italian Sausage: Brings rich, savory flavor. Swap with ground beef or turkey if you prefer.
- 4-Cheese Blend: Ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, and romano make the filling creamy and flavorful. You can substitute romano with more parmesan or asiago if needed.
- Tomato Sauce & Diced Tomatoes: Creates a thick, flavorful base for the dish. Substitute with your favorite pasta sauce if needed.
- Heavy Cream: Adds richness to the filling. Milk is a great substitute!
How To Make Stuffed Shells with Italian Sausage
Stuffed shells might look fancy, but they’re actually very simple to pull together! This recipe is great for making ahead and perfect for freezing, too. Here’s step by step instructions on how to bring it all together:
STEP 1
Cook the pasta shells in salted water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, drain the rest, and set aside.
STEP 2
In a large skillet, heat olive oil and sauté spinach until wilted. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, sauté for 30 seconds, then remove and roughly chop.
STEP 3
Add the chopped spinach to a medium bowl along with the ricotta, romano, mozzarella, parmesan, parsley, pepper, egg, and cream. Mix until fully combined.
STEP 3
In the same skillet, cook the Italian sausage and onions until browned. Stir in garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 20–30 minutes. Add in some or all of the pasta water if the sauce is too thick for your liking.
STEP 4
Preheat oven to 375°F. Spread half the sausage sauce in a 9x13 baking dish. Fill shells with cheese mixture and place in dish. Top with remaining sauce, then sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and parmesan.
STEP 5
Bake uncovered for 45 minutes until bubbly and lightly browned. Garnish with parsley and basil if desired. Enjoy!
More Delicious Recipes
FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube to stay connected!
If you tried this Stuffed Shells with Italian Sausage recipe or any other recipe on my blog, I’d love to hear from you! Leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comment section below!
📖 Recipe
Stuffed Shells with Italian Sausage
Ingredients
Pasta Sauce
- 18-20 jumbo pasta shells
- ½ cup onion small diced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound italian sausage
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 15 ounces tomato sauce
- 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes petite diced
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup reserved pasta water optional
4-Cheese Filling
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups fresh spinach rinsed
- 2 tablespoons fresh parlsey chopped, plus more for garnishing
- 1 pinch red pepper plakes
- 1 cup romano cheese shredded
- 1 cup parmesan cheese shredded, reserve ¼ for top
- 2 ½ cups mozzarella cheese shredded, reserve 1 ½ cups for top
- ¾ cup ricotta cheese
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Cook the pasta shells in salted water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, drain the rest, and set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté spinach until wilted. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, sauté for 30 seconds, then remove and roughly chop.
- Add the chopped spinach to a medium bowl along with the ricotta, romano, 1 cup of mozzarella, ¾ cup of parmesan, parsley, pepper, egg, and cream. Mix until fully combined.
- In the same skillet, drizzle in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and cook the Italian sausage and onions until browned. Stir in garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 20–30 minutes. Add in some or all of the pasta water if the sauce is too thick for your liking.
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Spread half the sausage sauce in a 9x13 baking dish. Fill shells with cheese mixture and place in dish. Top with remaining sauce, then sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and parmesan.
- Bake uncovered for 45 minutes until bubbly and lightly browned. Garnish with parsley and basil if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
-
-
To Make Ahead:
Fully assemble the stuffed shells, let them cool completely, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. When ready to bake, take the dish out of the fridge 30–45 minutes beforehand. Add 10–15 minutes to the baking time, then uncover and bake for another 5–10 minutes to lightly brown the cheese. -
To Freeze:
Assemble the dish and let it cool completely. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 4 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before baking. Remove the plastic wrap, replace the foil, and bake with an extra 10–15 minutes added to the cook time. Uncover and bake for another 5–10 minutes to brown the top. - Reserved Pasta Water - Use if the pasta sauce is too thick for your liking. Add a little at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
-
To Make Ahead:
Frequently Asked Questions
Add the chopped spinach to a medium bowl along with the ricotta, romano, mozzarella, parmesan, parsley, pepper, egg, and cream. Mix until fully combined.
I recommend covering stuffed shells when baking if they are cold. If you have just assembled the stuffed shells, you can bake them uncovered.
Desi says
My family loves this pasta dish!
Jackie Garvin says
You can’t go wrong with four cheeses and pasta. Great recipe!
Sky Pilgreen says
Thank you!
Holly says
I made homemade ricotta cheese over the weekend and it was to die for in this recipe. Making the sauce from scratch was definitely with the extra effort.
Sky Pilgreen says
Oh, I bet your fresh ricotta was so good in this recipe! Thank you for your comment!
Ned says
Tons of amazing flavor packed in this dish! Was also even better for lunch the next day! Thank you for a great recipe!
Sky Pilgreen says
Thank you! I love that this recipe makes a lot, because I always look forward to having some for lunch the next day!
Carrie says
This pasta dish looks like the perfect comfort food dinner to me! 🙂 Can't wait to make this for my family soon.
Kristine says
Made this for dinner last night and we loved it! Very hearty and filling - great recipe!
Sky Pilgreen says
Thank you!
Chenee says
I've made stuffed shells plenty of times, but never with spinach and 4 different cheeses. It definitely leveled up the flavor! I really enjoyed this!
Sky Pilgreen says
Thank you! I am glad to hear you liked the spinach and 4 cheese mixture in this recipe!
Dannii says
This was total comfort food. So much flavour too.
Sky Pilgreen says
Thank you!
Lauren says
I adore stuffed shells, but the sausage really took the flavor to a whole new level - SO good! I think I'll be making them this way more often now!
Sky Pilgreen says
Yes, the sausage does add so much flavor!
Garret says
Great recipe! I did not have Italian Sausage so I used ground beef and it turned out really good. Next time I will get Italian Sausage to make it.
Simply Scratch Made says
Thanks for sharing your adaption. Glad to hear you liked it!!
Camille says
My family LOVES this recipe. I just made it for the second time and decided to double the recipe and put one in the freezer for a freezer meal. If anyone is wondering if this recipe is good, that should tell you how good it is!
Simply Scratch Made says
Thank you so much!
KP says
Great recipe! I've had the leftovers for lunch twice!
Simply Scratch Made says
Stuffed shells make the best leftovers! Thanks for the comment!
Crissy says
Yum! These stuffed shells were so delicious! I've never made stuffed shells before and am now hooked! You were right, that cheese mixture, omg!!!
Simply Scratch Made says
I am so glad you tried this recipe! It is one of my favorites!