Last Updated on June 13, 2024 by Carne Diem
Protein: Sausage
Method: Stovetop and Oven or Smoker
This Italian stuffed shell recipe is the perfect meal for your family dinner. Stuffed with sweet and spicy Italian sausage, creamy ricotta, and sautéed spinach this has become one of our favorite meals for busy weeknights, as much of the recipe can be made ahead of time. The stuffed shells cook perfectly in your home oven, but we especially love making a smoked pasta recipe on our pellet smoker for a hint of smoky flavor.
Ricotta and Italian Sausage Stuffed Shells: A Family-Favorite Twist on a Classic
Calling all pasta lovers! We’re taking a delicious detour from your typical tomato sauce and noodle routine with these Ricotta and Italian Sausage Stuffed Shells. This recipe is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, perfect for weeknight dinners, potlucks, or feeding the whole family.
Think lasagna, but way better! We’re using everyone’s favorite jumbo pasta shells as little edible pockets for a creamy ricotta mixture, sauteed spinach and a hearty helping of hot Italian sausage. While this family friendly stuffed shells recipe is easily made in an oven, this is also a great recipe for making on a smoker for those looking for something a little different.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
- Family-Friendly: This recipe is a winner with kids and adults alike. The creamy ricotta and cheesy goodness is balanced by the savory sausage, making it a crowd-pleaser for all ages. Plus, the flavorful pasta dish hides healthy sauteed spinach that the kids won’t even realize is there.
- Easy to Make: Don’t be intimidated by stuffed shells! This recipe comes together quickly with minimal prep and uses readily available ingredients from your local grocery store.
- Adaptable: Feeling adventurous? This recipe is a great base for lots of experimenting. Swap the spicy Italian sausage for ground beef or even try a sweet Italian sausage if you want as little less kick.
- Leftovers are Awesome: These stuffed shells taste even better the next day! Just store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator and reheat them in the oven for a quick and easy lunch or dinner.
Ready to Get Cooking? Here’s What You’ll Need:
You will only need a handful of common ingredients to make the sausage and cheese stuffed pasta shells.
Jumbo pasta shells: You will need one 10 to12-ounce package of the jumbo shells.
Italian sausage: Depending on your preference you can use sweet or mild sausage. We typically do a mix of hot Italian sausage and Sweet Italian sausage. If you bought the encased sausage remove the sausage from the casings.
Garlic Cloves: It is not true Italian without fresh minced garlic.
Marinara sauce: You will need a 24-ounce jar of your favorite marinara sauce. We like Rao’s or Newman’s Own but use your favorite (or your favorite recipe for homemade sauce).
Fresh Spinach: You will want about ½ cup to 1 cup of fresh baby spinach. We like to remove the stems prior to cooking. While this may seem like a lot of spinach, it cooks down considerably.
Ricotta cheese: We prefer full fat and full flavor ricotta, but you can substitute low-fat, depending on your calorie diet.
Grated Parmesan cheese and Mozzarella Cheese: A blend of Italian cheeses adds to the creamy goodness of the stuffed pasta shells. We recommend used low-moisture mozzarella when possible. Block mozzarella is also preferred to pre-shredded mozzarella as it does not contain anticaking agents, when can affect the melting of the cheese.
Additional Ingredients: To complete the dish, you will also need a little olive oil, 1 large egg, some Italian seasoning, and a little salt and black pepper. If you do not have Italian seasoning, you can substitute equal parts dried parsley, basil, and oregano.
Making the Stuffed Shells
To make the cheese and sausage stuffed shells you just need to pre-cook a few ingredients, make the cheese mixture, stuff the shells, and then bake the shells. Much of the prep can be done ahead of time you everything can be prepared and ready to cook when you are.
Cook the Pasta Shells
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the jumbo pasta shells and cook according to package directions for al dente (slightly firm to the bite). Drain the pasta in a colander and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking process.
Brown the Sausage
While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the Italian sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned throughout, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the sausage from the pan and cool.
Sauté the Spinach
Cook the baby spinach in the sausage grease over medium heat, until wilted. This typically only takes a minute or two.
Make the Ricotta Mixture for the Stuffed Shells
In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, sausage, parmesan, egg, garlic, Italian seasoning, spinach, salt, pepper, and 1 cup of mozzarella in a bowl and mix to combine.
How to Stuff Italian Pasta Shells
Preheat your oven or smoker to 325°F (190°C). Spread a thin layer of marinara sauce in the bottom of a large baking dish. Carefully spoon the ricotta mixture into each cooked jumbo shell. This typically takes about a heaping 2 tablespoons of the cheese and sausage mixture. You will typically not use all of the shells, but this allows for some extra in case of breakage.
Arrange the stuffed shells in a single layer in the baking dish.
Top and Bake the Sausage and Ricotta Stuffed Shells
Top the stuffed shells with the remaining marinara sauce and ½ cup of water and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
Bake or smoke the stuffed shells for 30 minutes. Check the pasta and continue to cook until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly.
Making stuffed pasta shells on a smoker
To make stuffed pasta shells on a smoker just follow the same instructions as the oven method but cook over indirect heat on your smoker.
The Best Wood for Smoked Pasta Dishes
We typically stick to milder woods when smoking pasta dishes. Fruit woods like apple, cherry, and peach work well. For a little more smoke flavor you can use pecan or oak. This smoked stuffed shell recipe works especially well on a pellet grill like a Traeger, but we have also had great results making the smoked pasta on a Big Green Egg.
Serve and Enjoy! Let the stuffed shells cool slightly before serving. Enjoy them alongside a simple green salad or garlic bread for a complete and delicious meal.
Be sure to try more of our other great Italian recipes for your grill or smoker:
Tips and Tricks:
- For a creamier ricotta mixture, you can substitute ¼ cup of cream cheese for some of the ricotta.
- Want to add some fresh flavors? Try stirring in chopped fresh herbs like parsley or basil to the ricotta mixture.
- Leftover cooked Italian sausage can be used in other recipes like pasta sauce, scrambled eggs, or stuffed peppers.
- Feeling ambitious? Make your own marinara sauce from scratch for an extra level of flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Because the sausage is precooked, the stuffed shells just need to be cooked until warmed through and until the cheese on top has melted and is golden brown.
Leftover stuffed pasta shells should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eaten within 3-4 days.
Thank you for taking the time to visit our blog. If you tried and enjoyed our recipe, please share with others and please leave us a comment and review. We also love to see your pics so don’t forget to tag us @Carne_Diem_Culinary or #CarneDiemBlog. To be notified of future recipes please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest, or sign up for our e-mail notifications. Until next time, Carne Diem!
📖 Recipe
Smoked Stuffed Pasta Shells with Italian Sausage and Ricotta
These delicious stuffed pasta shells are loaded with creamy ricotta cheese, Italian sausage, and spinach. The stuffed shells are perfect for an easy family dinner and a great recipe to try unique dish to make on your smoker.
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Italian Sausage
- 16 Ounces Ricotta Cheese
- ½ Cup Baby Spinach
- ⅓ Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
- 1 Egg beaten
- 1 Garlic Clove minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 24 Ounces Marinara Sauce
- 2 Cups Shredded Mozzarella divided
- 12 Ounce Jumbo Shells
Instructions
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Brown the sausage and crumble, then remove from the pan and cool.
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Cook the baby spinach in the sausage grease, until wilted.
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Combine the ricotta, sausage, parmesan, egg, garlic, Italian seasoning, spinach, salt, pepper, and 1 cup of mozzarella in a bowl and mix to combine.
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Cook the jumbo pasta shells per the package instructions.
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Layer ⅓ of the jar of marinara in the 9×13 pan.
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Stuff and layer the shells and place in the pan.
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Top with the remaining marinara and ½ cup of water.
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Top with the remaining mozarella cheese.
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Smoke at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 657kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 35gFat: 45gSaturated Fat: 21gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 0.003gCholesterol: 157mgSodium: 1684mgPotassium: 697mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1403IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 458mgIron: 4mg
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