Sausage Stuffed Shells
- PREP 15min
- COOK 35min
- TOTAL 50min
The sausage and ricotta filling for these easy stuffed shells holds up well. These double as dinner or finger food. The sausage you choose is up to you. Chicken or turkey sausage instead of pork sausage would be great. If you select a lower-fat sausage, add some oil to the pan before browning. When making stuffed shells, add a few more dried pasta shells to the water than you think you will need since some will rip. The filling for this recipe should fill about 16 shells.
You Will Need
20 jumbo dried pasta shells
20 jumbo dried pasta shells
1 pound (450g) fresh Italian pork sausage, casings removed
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 (14oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (10oz) package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (1 ¼ cups)
1/2 cup (113g) ricotta cheese
1/2 cup (56g) shredded mozzarella cheese
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
2 cups (470ml) marinara sauce
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Set aside a 3-quart baking dish.
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the pasta shells and follow the package directions for cooking. Drain and rinse the shells with cold water.
Meanwhile, heat a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. As the sausage cooks, use a wooden spoon to break the sausage up into small pieces in the pan.
Stir in the garlic, tomatoes, and thawed and ringed-out spinach. Cook until heated through and the liquid reduces by half, about 2 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat, then stir in the ricotta cheese. Taste for seasoning, then adjust with salt and pepper to taste.
Add about 1 cup of the marinara sauce to the bottom of the baking dish.
Fill each shell with sausage filling and arrange them in the baking dish. Scatter mozzarella cheese on top.
Bake until the tips of the shells begin to brown, and the cheese has melted about 25 minutes.
Warm the remaining sauce and serve alongside the shells.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Sausage with casing: If you cannot find bulk sausage, buy sausage formed into links, and then remove the casings by cutting a slit down the sausage and pulling the casing away from the meat.
- Use fresh spinach: Cook 1 pound of fresh spinach until wilted, squeeze out excess moisture, and add to the filling.
- Storing: Leftover shells can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and about 3 months in the freezer.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.