Sausage Stuffed Shells Recipe
Jumbo stuffed shells filled with ground sweet Italian sausage, ricotta and parmesan cheese, fresh basil, garlic, and egg. Baked topped with marinara and melted mozzarella cheese.
Servings: 22 shells
Ingredients
- 20-22 jumbo shells 12-ounce box
- 24 ounces marinara
- 14-16 ounces of ground sweet or hot Italian sausage or ground beef
- 1 3/4 cups ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup coarsely grated parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- 2-3 garlic cloves minced
- 6-7 basil leaves chopped, plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta shells 1 minute before al dente, strain, and rinse with cool water to prevent overcooking.
- Meanwhile, in a cast-iron skillet, cook sausage until fully cooked through and browned. About 5-7 minutes. Use the tip of a spatula to break the sausage into the smallest chunks possible as it cooks. Season with salt and pepper to taste and remove the pan from the heat.
- Transfer the sausage to a medium bowl with ricotta, basil, garlic, parmesan cheese, and egg. Stir until fully incorporated and creamy. Place 1 cup of marinara in the bottom of the now-empty skillet.
- Cut a 1-inch hole in a pastry bag or corner of a large Ziploc bag. Transfer the ricotta filling to the bag and fill each shell to the top with ricotta. You can alternatively fill shells with a spoon.
- Arrange shells in the skillet as tightly as possible. You can usually fit 20-22 shells in a 12-inch cast iron skillet. Top each shell with a heaping tablespoon of marinara. Layer the entire dish with about 1 cup of shredded mozzarella (more is OK too).
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is fully melted and golden. Finish with a quick broil to give the cheese a little sear if desired. Let cool for 5 minutes, top with extra chopped basil, and serve immediately.
Notes
The easiest way to fill stuffed shells is with a pasty bag or Ziploc bag. This makes quick and neat work of filling the shells. The most important tip is to cut a solid inch off your pasty bag so the meat can easily slide through. Assuming your ricotta is adequately mixed, this shouldn't be a problem.
If you don't have a cast iron skillet, you can bake shells in a baking dish instead. If making additional, You will need to scale the ricotta filling as it's enough for roughly 20-22 shells. There will be leftover shells in the box.
Finish the baking with a quick broil. It will slightly crisp the cheese and give it a beautiful golden finish. Broil on high for 1-2 minutes, watching carefully to avoid burning.
Cook shells just under al dente to prevent overcooking. Rinsing the shells with cool water after straining will prevent them from cooking further. This is so they don't break apart when filling.
Nutrition
Calories: 430kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 24.6g | Fat: 21.6g | Saturated Fat: 9.2g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 864mg | Fiber: 1.4g | Sugar: 1.9g