Stuffed Shells in Sausage Meat Sauce

Pasta is comfort food for us. Whenever we’re craving something warm and hearty, it’s pasta. When we’re craving something light and crisp, it’s pasta. The cool thing about pasta is you can make it fit whatever it is you’re trying to accomplish.

 

So, I make lasagna a lot and it’s a delicious warm and hearty meal. Sometimes it feels like a heavy meal though and I was looking for a way to lighten it up for those nights we are looking for a lighter version. Enter shells…

 

 

Shells are neat because they are these yummy little packages of soft and creamy cheese. We’ve tried a lot of different sizes and brands. I admit I prefer the Kroger Private Selection shells because they are a little smaller than many of the other name brand large pasta shells. It creates a better pasta-to-shell ratio, which makes a difference in your mouthfeel when eating.

 

 

These also re-heat so well. They make great leftovers, and can be frozen if you make a double batch to have a prepped dinner for another night. You’re going to love these!

 

 

 

Stuffed Shells in Sausage Meat Sauce

 

 

16-20 large pasta shells

½ onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

½ lb Italian sausage (3 links, meat removed)

1-24 oz jar of marinara sauce

1 – 15 oz container of ricotta cheese

1 egg

2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided

½ cup parmesan cheese

1 tsp Italian seasoning

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

 

 

In a large stockpot, boil water and cook the shells according to the package. Drain and set aside for assembly. Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add a little EVOO and brown the onion. Once browned, add the minced garlic and give it another minute. Push the onion to the side of the skillet and brown the meat. Once the meat is browned, incorporate the onions with the meat mixture and then drain any excess fat. Add the sauce (reserving about ½ cup for assembly) and heat through, then set that aside. Last prep step; mix together the egg, the ricotta cheese, 1 cup of the mozzarella, the parmesan, and the Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.

 

Now it’s time for construction. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. In a 7x10 inch dish, spray cooking oil on the bottom and sides and then spread the reserved sauce on the bottom. Put the cheese mixture into a piping bag or plastic Ziploc bag with a corner nipped. Fill each shell with the cheese mixture and place it into the dish. Repeat that with each shell until you’ve filled the dish or run out of cheese mix. Once all of the shells are filled and placed, pour the meat sauce over the shells across the whole dish. Finally, sprinkle the reserved mozzarella cheese on top of the shells. Loosely cover the dish with foil and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the cheese begins to bubble. Remove the foil and switch the oven to broiler on high and let the cheese brown a bit, just a few minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before serving.