Italian Sausage Stuffed Shells Recipe

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Italian Sausage Stuffed Shells Recipe – Believe it or not, I’m not a fan of cheese and try to avoid it whenever possible. So dishes that are stuffed with things like ricotta turn me off. I created this dish as a compromise to my cheese avoidance and my husband’s love of Italian food. Serve this with garlic bread and a salad for a wonderful family dinner.

 

Italian Sausage Stuffed Shells Recipe

Italian Sausage Stuffed Shells Recipe - Believe it or not, I'm not a fan of cheese and try to avoid it whenever possible. So dishes that are stuffed with things like ricotta turn me off. I created this dish as a compromise to my cheese avoidance and my husband's love of Italian food. Serve this with garlic bread and a salad for a wonderful family dinner.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 16 ounce package jumbo pasta shells
  • 3 teaspoons vegetable oil divided
  • 1 pound bulk Italian sausage
  • 1 16 ounce package finely shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
  • 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning plus more for garnish if desired
  • 1 24 ounce jar prepared marinara sauce

Instructions
 

  • Step 1
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil a 9x13 baking dish.
  • Step 2
  • 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.
  • Step 3
  • 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.
  • Step 4
  • 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.
  • Step 5
  • 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.

Notes

If you don't like a lot of sauce, adjust to suit your personal tastes. And if you prefer, you can sprinkle parsley flakes on the baked shells instead of Italian seasoning.

Recipe by: allrecipes.com

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