Italian Stuffed Shells

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5.0

15 reviews
Excellent

Italian Stuffed Shells

These are amazing Italian stuffed shells. We love using a chicken Italian sausage for the meat, but you could also use standard pork Italian sausage, too, hot or sweet. These shells work as an appetizer or entree and reheat wonderfully the following day.

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Ingredients

Servings
  • 20 jumbo shells dried
  • 4 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup onion chopped
  • 1 cup green bell pepper seeded and chopped
  • 1 cup celery chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 12 oz. chicken sausage Italian, casing removed, usually 3 links
  • 1 tablespoon parsley fresh, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon basil fresh, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon rosemary fresh, chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 6 oz fresh ricotta cheese
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup Parmesan Cheese grated, plus more for sprinkling on top
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese whole milk, shredded
  • 3 cups marinara sauce
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Instructions

  1. In a pot of boiling lightly salted water set over high heat, cook the pasta shells for 10 to 12 minutes, or until al dente. Drain and transfer the shells to a large bowl and toss with a tablespoon of olive. Set aside.
  2. In a large saute pan, heat 3 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, bell pepper, and celery, and sauté, stirring frequently, until soft and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute until aromatic.
  3. Use a small knife to cut the casings off of the chicken sausage links. Use your fingers to crumble the sausage into the skillet with the cooked vegetables. Cook, stirring often, until the sausage is fully cooked, about 8 minutes more.
  4. Stir in the parsley, basil, rosemary, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl. Place in the fridge to cool for about 15 to 20 minutes.
  5. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  6. Place the ricotta into a medium-sized bowl and stir in the egg until smooth. Stir in the Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Mix until fully blended. Set aside.
  7. Once the meat mixture has cooled somewhat, remove it from the refrigerator and stir in the cheese mixture until fully combined.
  8. Spread about 2 cups of the marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9"x13" baking dish.
  9. Using a spoon, fill the shells with as much stuffing as you can, about ¼ cup. Place the shells, stuffed side up, on the sauce. Ladle a little more marinara over the tops of the shells. Sprinkle Parmesan all over the tops of the stuffed shells.
  10. Cover the casserole with aluminum foil and bake the shells for about 12 minutes.
  11. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and the tops of the shells are slightly browned. Serve the shells with the remaining ½ cup of grated cheese on the side.

Notes

  • Jumbo shells can be found in the dried pasta section of many well-stocked supermarkets.  If you can't find jumbo shells, you can use lasagna noodles.  Simply cook them according to package directions, and then lay them flat and spread a thin layer of the filling over them. Roll them up tight and bake them the same way you would the shells.
  • We recommend cooking at least 20 shells, you probably won't use all of them, but several of them may break during the cooking process, so it's good to have extra. 
  • You can make your own Italian chicken sausage by combining 1 lb of ground chicken with 1 clove of minced garlic, 1 teaspoon each of dried parsley, basil, and oregano, and ½ teaspoon each of fennel, paprika, red pepper flakes, and salt.   
  • Smoked mozzarella is a nice twist for this dish.  It does have a pretty distinct taste, so taste it first.  We sometimes go with ½ cup of smoked mozzarella and ½ cup of whole-milk mozzarella. 
  • The meat mixture and cheese mixture can be made up to 24 hours in advance.  The marinara can be made up to 5 days in advance, or frozen for up to 2 months.
  • Leftover shells are delicious!  Place in a baking dish, cover with foil, and bake in an oven preheated to 350°F for about 20 minutes, or until heated through and bubbly.
  • The stuffed shells will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days and can be frozen for up to 1 month. 

Nutrition Information

Show Details
Calories 528kcal (26%) Carbohydrates 36g (12%) Protein 29g (58%) Fat 26g (40%) Saturated Fat 8g (40%) Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 112mg (37%) Sodium 1659mg (69%) Potassium 674mg (19%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 9g (18%) Vitamin A 1410IU (28%) Vitamin C 33mg (37%) Calcium 400mg (40%) Iron 3mg (17%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 528 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories 528kcal 26%
Carbohydrates 36g 12%
Protein 29g 58%
Fat 26g 40%
Saturated Fat 8g 40%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 112mg 37%
Sodium 1659mg 69%
Potassium 674mg 14%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 9g 18%
Vitamin A 1410IU 28%
Vitamin C 33mg 37%
Calcium 400mg 40%
Iron 3mg 17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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15 reviews
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