The first time I made this stuffed shells with meat recipe for my fam, they went crazy. Per usual, I hooked up the recipe Grandbaby Cakes style with a ton of flavor. I stuff the shells with a meaty sausage and herb ricotta cheese filling then top with marinara sauce and melty cheese. It gets all bubbly and is a straight up dream for an easy weeknight dinner along with a caesar salad and homemade garlic bread. Get at it boos.
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How to Make Stuffed Shells
Step 1: Start by preheating your oven to 350°. Add olive oil to a pan over medium heat. Crumble and cook Italian sausage in pan until browned through. Set aside.
Spray your baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Step 2: Spread 1/3 of the marinara sauce on the bottom of the dish. In a large bowl, stir together sausage, ricotta, parmesan, egg yolk, Italian herbs, garlic powder and salt and pepper until combined. Carefully stuff pasta shells with filling (about 1 1/2-2 tablespoons each) and add to the baking dish on top of the sauce.
Step 3: Once all are stuffed and arranged in the dish, pour the rest of the marinara sauce on top and finish by sprinkling cheese over the dish.
Step 4: Cover and bake at 350° for 25 minutes then remove cover and allow to bake and brown for additional 10 minutes. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with parsley if desired.
Stuffed Shells Recipe
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound Italian sausages removed from caseins
- 3 cups Marinara sauce homemade or grab a high quality jar
- 2 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon Italian herbs and seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 12 jumbo pasta shells cooked
- 2-3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- Optional: Chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 350°.
- Add olive oil to a pan over medium heat. Crumble and cook italian sausage in pan until browned through. Set aside.
- Spray your baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Spread 1/3 of the marinara sauce on the bottom of the dish.
- In a large bowl, stir together crumbled and cooked sausage, ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, the egg yolk, Italian herbs and seasoning, garlic powder and salt and pepper until well combined.
- Carefully begin to stuff pasta shells with filling (about 1 1/2-2 tablespoons each) and add to the bottom of the baking dish on top of the sauce.
- Once all are stuffed and arranged in the dish, pour the rest of the marinara sauce on top and finish by sprinkling mozzarella cheese over the dish.
- Cover and bake at 350° for 25 minutes then remove cover and allow to bake and brown for additional 10 minutes. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with parsley if desired.
Notes
To Store and Reheat
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze them on a baking sheet before transferring to a freezer bag for up to 2 months. To reheat , preheat the oven to 375 degrees and place the desired portion in an oven-safe dish. Cover the dish with aluminum foil, then bake until the shells are warmed through and the cheese is melted.Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Shred Yourself: Skip the additives in a pre-shredded cheese package. That cheese just doesn’t melt as well. And we want bomb melt. Grab a block of cheese and grate it yourself.
- Don’t Cook All the Way: Keep the shells a little undercooked. This will help them not get too fragile and break while you are stuffing them.
- Pipe it In: If you want a clean and easy way to fill your shells, add the filling to a piping bag or snip the side of a ziptop bag off and squeeze the filling in.
Best Pasta Recipes
- Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
- Cajun Jambalaya Pasta
- Seafood Lasagna
- Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
- Lasagna Roll Ups
- Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Lasagna
- Ragu Recipe
- Chicken Stuffed Shells
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I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
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I love Italian food and anything pasta related. I’m adding this recipe to my repertoire!
Looks damn satisfiying.. i wana get more satisfied after trying it 🙂 Great post thanx for sharing. keep it up 😉
So cheesy and comforting!
Perfect comfort food but sophisticated too. A+!
this looks amazing and so did all of your food from Vegas!!! hope you had a great time!
These shells look so tasty! I’m always down for pasta, and I love that scrumptious red sauce!
Hope you’re having a great trip! I have similar concerns about the Zika virus. Love the looks of these shells, pure comfort food!
I need to try your version of stuffed shells! Looks delicious! 😀
You are speaking my language with these stuffed shells. I love pasta in all its cheesy glory. This sausage version sounds divine!
Ground sausage is always a great way to add an extra kick of flavor. This looks like the ultimate comfort food that I know my family would love. Have a great time in Vegas!