Best Cheesy Shells Italian Sausage Recipes

CHEESY BAKED PASTA WITH SAUSAGE AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Heat oil in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high. Crumble sausage into skillet, using a spoon to break it into small pieces. Cook until starting to brown, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, oregano, fennel seeds and red-pepper flakes (if using), and cook another 1 to 2 minutes.
• Stir in whole tomatoes and their juice, using a spoon to break them up. Add crushed tomatoes, bay leaves and 2 teaspoons salt, and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes to thicken slightly.
• Stir in pasta and 1 cup water and return to a simmer. Continue to simmer for 2 minutes, stirring frequently to make sure pasta doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat, pluck out the bay leaves, and fold in about a third of the mozzarella.
• Top pasta with remaining mozzarella and dollops of ricotta. Sprinkle with Parmesan, then transfer to oven. Bake until pasta is tender when poked with a fork, and cheese is bubbly and lightly golden, 18 to 22 minutes. (If you'd like a more deeply browned topping, run the pan under the broiler for 1 or 2 minutes.) Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving. Top with basil, plenty of black pepper, and more red-pepper flakes, if you like.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil a 9x13 baking dish.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook shells in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite, about 10 to 12 minutes. Drain. Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet; place drained pasta on baking sheet to cool.
• Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a heavy skillet. Cook and crumble sausage until it has lost its pink color and begins to brown. Remove from heat; drain off grease.
• Stir half of the shredded cheese and the Italian seasoning into the browned sausage. Spoon mixture into the pasta shells (1 to 2 tablespoons per shell). Arrange stuffed shells in prepared baking dish. Pour marinara sauce evenly over the shells. Top with remaining shredded cheese. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
• Bake in preheated oven until heated through and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Remove foil; bake until browned, 5 to 10 more minutes. Sprinkle with a pinch of Italian seasoning, if desired.

CHEESY STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add shells and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and rinse in cold water.
• Place sausage in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain and crumble. In a large bowl, combine cooked sausage, spinach, ricotta cheese, egg, garlic, lemon juice and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt, pepper and oregano.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Stuff pasta shells with the sausage and cheese mixture and place in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Top with spaghetti sauce and mozzarella cheese.
• Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the pasta is heated through and the cheese is melted.

ITALIAN STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook beef, onion and garlic over medium heat, crumbling beef, until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in water, tomato paste, bouillon and oregano. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. , Meanwhile, combine egg, cottage cheese, 1 cup mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Stuff shells with cheese mixture., Preheat oven to 350°. Arrange shells in a greased 13x9-in. or 3-qt. baking dish. Pour meat sauce over shells. Cover; bake 30 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes longer. Freeze option: After assembling, cover and freeze. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake as directed, adding remaining 1 cup mozzarella after 30-40 minutes and increasing time as necessary for a thermometer inserted in center to read 165°.

CHEESE & SAUSAGE STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cook pasta shells according to package directions for al dente; drain and rinse with cold water. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook sausage and onion over medium heat 6-8 minutes or until sausage is no longer pink, breaking up sausage into crumbles; drain and return to pan. Add cream cheese; cook and stir until melted., Transfer to a large bowl; cool slightly. Stir in spinach and egg. Add 1 cup mozzarella, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper; mix well. In a small bowl, combine sauce ingredients. Spread 1-1/3 cups sauce onto bottom of a greased 13x9-in. baking dish and 2/3 cup sauce over the bottom of a greased 8-in. square baking dish. Fill pasta shells with sausage mixture; arrange over sauce. Top with remaining sauce., Bake, covered, 45 minutes or until pasta is tender. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.