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Stuffed pasta shells in a casserole dish with large serving spoon.
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5 from 1 vote

Stuffed Pasta Shells

Jumbo pasta shells stuffed with ricotta cheese and spinach, covered with a light Italian ground sausage and tomato "sauce" and cheese, and baked until golden brown.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: spinach ricotta stuffed shells, stuffed shells with spinach and sausage
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 520kcal
Author: Erin
Cost: $8

Ingredients

  • 12 oz jumbo pasta shells cooked al dente
  • olive oil or butter for tossing pasta
  • 1 lb. ricotta cheese
  • 6 oz. baby spinach leaves chopped
  • 1 lb ground italian sausage
  • 4 cloves garlic peeled, minced
  • ½ medium sweet onion diced
  • ½ medium red bell pepper diced
  • 15 oz. canned diced tomatoes can use plain in juice, or fire roasted
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees and bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
  • Boil pasta shells (12 oz) to al dente, strain, and toss with a drizzle of olive oil or butter to prevent from sticking while they cool.
  • While pasta cooks, fold together ricotta cheese (16 oz.) and chopped spinach (6 oz.) in a bowl, and set aside.
  • Meanwhile, fry ground Italian sausage (1 lb.) in a skillet on medium high heat, and halfway through, add minced garlic, onion, and bell pepper. Finish sautéing until sausage is crispy and vegetables are caramelized.
  • Add canned tomatoes, drained to skillet and stir to combine. Remove from heat and set aside.
  • Spread a small amount of the meat mixture over the bottom of a 3 quart, or 13x9 inch casserole dish to prevent sticking.
  • Use a spoon to scoop the ricotta and spinach mixture into each shell, one by one, and nestle side by side in a single layer in the casserole dish until it is completely full. They can be squished in there, but you might have some extra leftover shells.
  • Spoon the rest of the meat mixture evenly over the shells.
  • Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the top. If desired sprinkle breadcrumbs, fresh basil, crushed red pepper, or grated Parmesan (optional).
  • Bake at 450 degrees until golden and bubbly, about 10-12 minutes.

Notes

  1. If necessary, drain grease from skillet as ground sausage cooks. 
  2. Make sure rinsed spinach is completely dry before folding into ricotta cheese.
  3. Set the ricotta cheese out 10-20 minutes before hand for easier folding. 
  4. For a lighter version of this recipe, substitute: chickpea or brown rice shells for regular white shells, turkey sausage for pork sausage, and skim mozzarella and ricotta for whole milk; double the amount of spinach, while reducing the amount of ricotta cheese by half. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 520kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 649mg | Potassium: 573mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2637IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 253mg | Iron: 3mg