Easy Stuffed Pasta Shells
This cheesy pasta recipe is affordable and easy to make. Italian sausage added to the pasta sauce makes it a hearty weeknight dinner. Stuff the pasta shells with a mixture of Ricotta and Parmesan cheeses and you’ve got a delicious pasta dish sure to be loved by all. Serve Easy Stuffed Pasta Shells with a leafy, green salad and your meal is complete.
Busy weeknights have many of us looking for easy-to-make recipes that our families will love. Well, this is one of those recipes! Simply boil your pasta, stuff the shells with a easy cheesy filling, cover with sauce and cheese, then bake for 30 minutes. In less than an hour, you will have a hot, tasty meal on the table to make even the pickiest eaters happy.
Tips for making Easy Stuffed Pasta Shells:
- JUMBO SHELLS– Before assembling the casserole, you will need to boil the pasta. The box instructions tell you to boil the pasta for 8 to 10 minutes. I typically boil it for 6 minutes, just long enough to make it somewhat soft so you can easily fill it with cheese and sausage. It will finish cooking while the casserole is baking in the oven.
- FILLING– When making the ricotta filling for the shells, it is a good idea to beat the egg before incorporating it into the cheese mixture. This way it mixes in well and combines with the Parmesan cheese and seasonings.
- PASTA SAUCE– For a more hearty sauce, add cooked mushrooms, onions or green peppers. Shredded carrots are also a nice addition, they make the sauce slightly sweeter. And while we love this dish with Italian sausage, you could certainly use ground beef or ground turkey in the sauce for this recipe.
- MAKE FEWER SERVINGS– Cut the recipe in half if you want fewer servings. I like to make a large dish of 8 servings and freeze any leftovers we may have for another meal. It is just as delicious after freezing and warming it a second time. Freeze for up to one month for best results.
Easy Stuffed Pasta Shells Recipe
What’s needed?
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 25 ounces pasta sauce
- 16 ounces jumbo pasta shells
- 2 cups of Ricotta cheese (16 ounce container)
- 2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- a pinch of salt and pepper
- 2 cups of Mozzarella cheese
How to make Stuffed Pasta Shells?
Step-by Step Instructions:
- Boil pasta shells in a large pot for 6 minutes. Drain pasta and allow to cool slightly.
- While pasta is cooking, brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain any excess fat. Add pasta sauce to the sausage and simmer on low.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the Ricotta, Parmesan, the beaten egg, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir until combined.
- Once the pasta shells are cool enough to handle, use a spoon to fill each shell with a heaping tablespoon of the cheese mixture.
- Place the pasta shells in a 13×9-inch baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
- Pour the sauce with sausage over the pasta. Sprinkle the dish with Mozzarella cheese.
- Bake the pasta shells at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes, until cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly. This recipe makes 8 servings.
Serve the Stuffed Pasta Shells with a leafy, green salad and some crusty Italian bread. The pasta-lovers in your family will devour this easy, cheesy pasta dish.
For more saucy pasta dishes, check out these delicious recipes:
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Easy Stuffed Pasta Shells
Ingredients
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 24 ounces pasta sauce
- 16 ounces jumbo pasta shells
- 2 cups Ricotta cheese
- 2 cups Parmesan cheese, shredded
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- pinch salt and pepper
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Boil pasta shells in a large pot for 6 minutes. Drain pasta and allow to cool slightly.
- While pasta is cooking, brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain any excess fat. Add pasta sauce to the sausage and simmer on low.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the Ricotta, Parmesan, the beaten egg, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir until combined.
- Once the pasta shells are cool enough to handle, use a spoon to fill each shell with a heaping tablespoon of the cheese mixture.
- Place the pasta shells in a 13×9-inch baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes, until cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly.
