This simple Italian Sausage Stuffed Shells recipe will bring you comforting Italian food. This thick and creamy recipe is a great way to make a delicious Italian meal. It includes creamy ricotta and melty cheeses as well as Spinach, Spinach, and Italian sausage. Tips and a video tutorial!
This is one of our most loved recipes! This is the best and most original Sausage Stuffed Shells recipe. You will love the rich, creamy layers and bubbly golden cheese topping. For a family favourite that never fails, the layers blend perfectly together.
Prep Time:Â 15Â minutes
Cook Time:Â 45Â minutes
Total Time:Â 1Â hour
Servings: 12 servings
Ingredients
1 package Jumbo Pasta Shells 16oz
32 oz Ricotta about 4 cups
12 oz Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
2 Eggs
4 teaspoon Garlic Powder *see note
1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
¾ cup Shredded Parmesan
45 oz Spaghetti sauce large jar
4 cups Fresh Spinach rough chopped and stems removed if you prefer
1 lb Italian sausage ground or casings removed
parsley for garnish dried or fresh
½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a skillet over medium heat, brown and crumble the sausage. Drain any excess fat and remove from heat.
Bring water to boil and add the shells. Cook the shells until they are pliable for filling and no more. This means the shells should still feel hard, but they are bendable for stuffing.
In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, 8oz of mozzarella, ½ cup of parmesan, eggs, oregano, garlic powder, and pepper. Stir in the spinach.
Coat the bottom of a 9x13in pan with the ½ jar of spaghetti sauce. Spoon the cheese mixture into the shells and place shells open side up, close together in the dish. There will be more shells than will fit into this pan and you can either make a second smaller pan (5×8 is good) or freeze for future use. Sometimes the shells also break in the box so this is fine.
Add the rest of the spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle the sausage over the top of the shells. Then sprinkle with the remaining 4oz of mozzarella and ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese.
Cover with aluminum foil, preferably tented so it doesn’t stick to the cheese. Bake for 25-40 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly. The more packed/full the casserole dish, the longer it will take to bake. You know it’s ready when the cheesy is melted and bubbly. Look for bubbles along the sides of the dish.
If you like a cheesy crust, you may broil it uncovered for 3-5 minutes (watch closely). Let stand 10 minutes before serving.