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 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.
Easy Stuffed Pasta Shells
What’s needed?
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 1 25 ounce jar of pasta sauce
- 1 16 ounce box of jumbo pasta shells
- 2 cups of Ricotta cheese (1 16 ounce container)
- 2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- a pinch of salt and pepper
- 2 cups of Mozzarella cheese
How to make Stuffed Pasta Shells?
- Boil pasta shells in a large pot according to package directions. 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, 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 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 for 30 minutes, until cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly.
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.
This recipe makes 8 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.
Easy Stuffed Pasta Shells
Ingredients
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 1 jar pasta sauce, 24 ounces
- 16 ounce box of jumbo pasta shells
- 2 cups of Ricotta cheese, 1 16 ounce container
- 2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- a pinch of salt and pepper
- 2 cups of Mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Boil pasta shells in a large pot according to package directions. 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, 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 baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, until cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly.
