Hey, y'all! Stuffed shells = one of my go-to orders when out at Italian restaurants; that said, they're so easy to make that I decided I should just make them at home! The recipe for my Classic Italian Stuffed Shells is truly foolproof, is as easy as can be, and is immensely flavorful. This is easily a weeknight recipe, though it tastes like restaurant-quality/a dish that you spent far more time on than you did. That's a win-win in my book.
Classic Italian Stuffed Shells
I know y'all are going to love this recipe! The ingredients are very ordinary, simple, yet perfect. This will be in your monthly rotation going forward!
FAQ
You should use ground Italian sausage from your local grocery store. You can use either mild or hot in this recipe; it's fully contingent on your family's spice preference. I personally prefer the hot, though most of my loved ones prefer the mild!
Liberally! Fill each shell to the brim with filling.
Start by liberally salting your water. Secondly, remember that your pasta shells will continue to cook in the oven. As such, you'll simply cook the shells for roughly 3 minutes -- just enough time to loosen them up enough to stuff!
Enjoy my Classic Italian Stuffed Shells? Check out my other recipes here!
The Recipe
Classic Italian Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
Pasta
- 24 jumbo shells
For The Filling
- 1 lb ground Italian sausage mild or hot
- 2 c ricotta
- 1 c mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1 c parmesan grated
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Sauce
- 1 jar choice marinara
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
For The Topping
- ½ c mozzarella shredded
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 350F.
For The Filling
-
Add ground Italian sausage to skillet over medium heat. Break into small pieces. Cook until fully done.
-
Once sausage is done, add sausage, ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, egg, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and black pepper into a large bowl. Mix thoroughly.
For The Pasta
-
Heavily salt a pot of water; bring to a boil.
-
Once boiling, add jumbo pasta shells to the water. Cook for roughly 3 minutes, just enough time for shells to soften. This will allow you to properly stuff the shells with filling.
To Complete The Recipe
-
Pour ¾ jar of choice of marinara sauce into an oven-safe dish. Add in red pepper flakes and garlic powder. Mix well with a spoon.
-
Add filling liberally into each shell. Place shell in marinara. Repeat until done.
-
Add the remaining ¼ jar of marinara to the top of the shells. Top with ½ c. of mozzarella. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Enjoy my Classic Italian Stuffed Shells? Check out my other recipes here!
Y’all come back now, ya hear?
My best,
JC
Keep Up With JCP Eats
Thank you so much for visiting the blog today! I’d love to keep in touch via social media. You can follow my content on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Tik Tok, Twitter, and LinkedIn. I also author a sister website to JCP Eats, Unabashedly Southern, on which I write about southern lifestyle. Read Unabashedly Southern here.
Enjoy my Classic Italian Stuffed Shells? Check out my other recipes here!
