Stuffed Shells with Italian Sausage

Name: Stuffed Shells with Italian Sausage
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 12 oz Box Jumbo Shells; 4 cups Marinara Sauce (See ours here); 15 oz Ricotta Cheese, lowfat; 2 ½ cups Mozzarella Cheese, fresh, shredded; ½ cup Parmesan Cheese; 2 Eggs, beaten; 1 tsp Oregano; ½ tsp Garlic Powder; ½ tsp Salt; ¼ tsp Pepper; 2 tbsp Parsley, minced; 1 tbsp Basil, minced plus extra for garnish; 1 lb Italian Sausage (4 links)

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Stuffed shells is a classic Italian dish and comfort food. We wanted to take it up a notch by adding Italian sausage. Adding the meat makes it more filling and adds texture to the cheese filling. The fresh parsley and basil brighten the bite too. Always use fresh mozzarella cheese and grate yourself just before using. It has a higher moisture content than pre-shredded, bagged cheese, adding so much more flavor.

You can use your own marinara sauce, a store-bought jar, or you can make ours here. It will cut back on prep/cook time if you cook the marinara sauce prior to assembly, otherwise add 30-40 min to this recipe. Serve with caesar salad and fresh bread for dipping. Enjoy!

Stuffed Shells with Italian Sausage

Servings: 4-6

AuthorSunshine UrbaniakCategoryDinnerTotal Time50 mins

INGREDIENTS

12 oz Box Jumbo Shells

4 cups Marinara Sauce (See ours here)

15 oz Ricotta Cheese, lowfat

2 ½ cups Mozzarella Cheese, fresh, shredded

½ cup Parmesan Cheese

2 Eggs, beaten

1 tsp Oregano

½ tsp Garlic Powder

½ tsp Salt

¼ tsp Pepper

2 tbsp Parsley, minced

1 tbsp Basil, minced plus extra for garnish

1 lb Italian Sausage (4 links)

DIRECTIONS

1

Cook shells. Follow the directions on your jumbo shells packaging, about 9 min. Drain and allow to cool to the touch.

2

Cook sausage. While shells are cooking, go ahead and prepare the sausage. Remove the casing and place in a pan on medium-low heat. Break up the sausage into small pieces and cook until no longer pink. Drain fat and set aside.

3

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover bottom of 12 x 16 pan with a light layer of marinara sauce.

4

Mix the filling. Put eggs, ricotta, 2 cups mozzarella, parmesan cheese, oregano, garlic powder, parsley, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl and mix well until smooth. Add sausage and stir to combine. If you want to prepare a meatless batch, divide the cheese filling in half, and add the sausage to one half, however, don't add all the sausage, leave about a 1/2 cup leftover.

5

Insert about 1 Tbsp of filling into each shell, doing your best to fold the outer walls of the shells in—to the help hold the filling in. Place the shells in the pan, it's OK to overlap if needed. Top the shells with remaining marinara. Some people like to smother the shells with a lot of sauce, while others prefer less sauce—it's your call. Cover with tin foil and bake for 30 min.

6

Once done, remove tin foil and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and let sit for 5 min. before serving. Serve with parmesan cheese at the table for sprinkling. Caesar salad and fresh bread pair nicely.

Ingredients

12 oz Box Jumbo Shells

4 cups Marinara Sauce (See ours here)

15 oz Ricotta Cheese, lowfat

2 ½ cups Mozzarella Cheese, fresh, shredded

½ cup Parmesan Cheese

2 Eggs, beaten

1 tsp Oregano

½ tsp Garlic Powder

½ tsp Salt

¼ tsp Pepper

2 tbsp Parsley, minced

1 tbsp Basil, minced plus extra for garnish

1 lb Italian Sausage (4 links)

Directions

1

Cook shells. Follow the directions on your jumbo shells packaging, about 9 min. Drain and allow to cool to the touch.

2

Cook sausage. While shells are cooking, go ahead and prepare the sausage. Remove the casing and place in a pan on medium-low heat. Break up the sausage into small pieces and cook until no longer pink. Drain fat and set aside.

3

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover bottom of 12 x 16 pan with a light layer of marinara sauce.

4

Mix the filling. Put eggs, ricotta, 2 cups mozzarella, parmesan cheese, oregano, garlic powder, parsley, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl and mix well until smooth. Add sausage and stir to combine. If you want to prepare a meatless batch, divide the cheese filling in half, and add the sausage to one half, however, don't add all the sausage, leave about a 1/2 cup leftover.

5

Insert about 1 Tbsp of filling into each shell, doing your best to fold the outer walls of the shells in—to the help hold the filling in. Place the shells in the pan, it's OK to overlap if needed. Top the shells with remaining marinara. Some people like to smother the shells with a lot of sauce, while others prefer less sauce—it's your call. Cover with tin foil and bake for 30 min.

6

Once done, remove tin foil and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and let sit for 5 min. before serving. Serve with parmesan cheese at the table for sprinkling. Caesar salad and fresh bread pair nicely.

Stuffed Shells with Italian Sausage

Ingredients Directions