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–+ servings

Cheesy Sausage Stuffed Shells

Lola Jay
This flavorful Cheesy Sausage Stuffed Shell dish, marries savory Italian sausage with pasta shells and a rich tomato sauce
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 6
Calories 500 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 9 x 13 casserole dish

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 lb sweet Italian chicken sausage removed from casing see notes in recipe card for substitutions
  • 16 oz package jumbo pasta shells
  • 15 oz Ricotta
  • ¼ cup asiago cheese grated
  • 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese reserve 1 cup for topping
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ½ cup cup parsley reserve 1 tablespoon for garnish
  • ¾ cup shredded parmesan reserve ¼ cup for topping
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

Pasta Shells

  • Preheat your oven to 375F. Boil water in a large pot and add in your shells and salt. Cook a few minutes short of al dente, according to instructions on the package. Once done, strain them and cover with cold water and set aside.

Cheese Filling

  • In a large bowl, combine your ricotta, 2 cups of mozzarella, ½ cup of parmesan, asiago cheese, ½ cup chopped parsley, salt, pepper, garlic powder and your Italian seasoning and combine.

Italian Sausage

  • Add a teaspoon of olive oil to your pan on medium high heat. Let heat for 3 minutes and add in your Italian sausage. If using a different meat, see note below.
  • Put the heat down to medium and spread the sausage and leave it untouched for 4 minutes so it browns on one side.
  • Once the 4 minutes has passed you can mix and break up the sausage. Once all the pink is gone and the sausage is browned, set it aside and let it cool for 10-15 minutes.

Stuff Shells

  • Place half your marinara sauce on the bottom of your casserole dish.
  • I like to use a large soup spoon to stuff my shells.
  • Stuff your shells and place them in a single layer.
  • Top with the rest of your marinara, mozarella cheese, and parmesan cheese.
  • Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and then broil for two minutes. Top with parsley and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Italian Sausage Sub: If you are using ground beef, chicken, turkey or a plant-based ground meat, sauté one garlic clove on medium for 30 seconds and then add in your meat, 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon onion powder and ½ teaspoon of ground fennel (optional but adds great taste). Cook on medium until browned. 

Nutrition

Calories: 500kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 33gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 158mgSodium: 1288mgPotassium: 159mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 832IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 415mgIron: 2mg
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