Stuffed Shells with Sausage and Vegetables

No ratings yet

Stuffed Shells with Sausage and Vegetables

This recipe is such a great way to add extra veggies into an easy make ahead pasta dish. They freeze great and are a perfect dish to make early in the day for a busy evening. Feel free to swap out veggies for zucchini, spinach, mushrooms or whatever you have on hand - I almost never make the same veggie combo.

Course: dinner, Main Course

Keyword: stuffed shells

Servings: servings

Calories: 625kcal

Author: Christina Shoup

Ingredients

1 12 oz box of jumbo shells
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 lb Italian sausage
1 onion, chopped
4 carrots, finely chopped ~ 1 cup
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped ~ 1 cup
4 garlic cloves
2 tbsp Italian seasoning
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp red pepper flakes
2 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
1 cup mascarpone cheese
2 eggs
¼ cup Italian parsley, chopped
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly ground pepper
1 28 oz jar of pasta sauce I like Rao's Homemade Marinara Sauce
¼ cup grated parmesan
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped

Instructions

Cook shells according to package - al dente is easiest to work with. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. Place on a sheet pan while you prepare the filling.
In a medium skillet, brown the sausage. When cooked though with good caramel color, add the olive oil and onion. Saute until golden. Add carrots and bell pepper, continuing to cook until the vegetables are tender.
Add garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and red pepper flakes. Cook 1 minute. Take off the heat and let cool.
In a large bowl, combine 1 ½ cups of shredded mozzarella cheese, ricotta, mascarpone, eggs, parsley, salt and pepper. Add the cooled sausage and veggie mixture to the bowl and mix well.
Grease a 13x9 inch casserole dish. Add a thin layer of sauce to the bottom of the dish. Fill shells with mixture and place in prepared dish. Cover with remaining sauce, remaining 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese, and parmesan.
Cover with greased foil and bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes, until bubbly, removing the foil for the last 5-10 minutes.
Garnish with basil.

Notes

*If you have extra filled shells, you can use a small 8x8 dish and bake alongside the larger dish. Alternatively, I often place extra filled shells on a small sheet tray, freeze, then store in a plastic bag for another day.

Nutrition