wordpress statistics

↑

Simply Being Mommy

Houston Texas Mom Blogger + Influencer

You are here: Home / Recipes / Italian Sausage, Spinach and Ricotta Cheese Stuffed Shells

Recipes

Italian Sausage, Spinach and Ricotta Cheese Stuffed Shells

• 23 Comments

Tweet3
Share177
Share
Pin28
208 Shares

Italian Sausage Stuffed Shells, y’all!

I’ve been working with Johnsonville now for a couple of years and about once a quarter I feature an easy recipe using a Johnsonville product. This quarter, it’s all about the All Natural Fresh Italian Mild Ground Sausage.

Italian Sausage Stuffed Shells, y'all! Filled with veggies, it's a great way to sneak those veggies into those picky eaters.

Recipes like this one allow me to create a meal my Italian husband loves, while sneaking in lots of veggies. The spinach is obviously not very sneaky, but there are some surprises that my husband and children didn’t even notice.

Italian Sausage Stuffed Shells

Italian Sausage, Spinach and Ricotta Cheese Stuffed Shells

Italian Sausage, Spinach and Ricotta Cheese Stuffed Shells

Yield: 8 or more
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Italian sausage, spinach and ricotta cheese stuffed in a jumbo pasta shell, topped with tomato and baked to perfection.

Ingredients

  • 1 16-ounce package jumbo pasta shells
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup onion, chopped
  • 1 lb Johnsonville All Natural Fresh Italian Mild Ground Sausage
  • 1/2 cup mushrooms, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 16-ounce container of ricotta cheese
  • 6 ounces fresh spinach, chopped
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded or grated + 1/4 cup for topping
  • 1/4 cup unseasoned bread crumbs
  • 1 4.25-ounce can chopped black olives
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

Instructions

  • In a large pot, bring generously salted water to a boil. Cook jumbo pasta shells according to the package instructions. Drain, rinse in cold water and set aside.
  • In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook about 5 minutes, or until softened. Add sausage and mushrooms and cook through, until no pink remains, about 5 minutes. Break sausage into smaller pieces while cooking. Add garlic and cook about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • In a large bowl, lightly beat egg. Add ricotta, spinach, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, black olives, pepper and sausage/mushroom mixture and mix all ingredients together.
  • Fill each cooked jumbo pasta shell with a tablespoon or more of the mixture. Spread 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes in the bottoms of two 9x13 baking dishes. Place stuffed pasta shells in the dishes and spread remaining crushed tomatoes over the top of the pasta shells. Cover baking dishes with foil and place in preheated oven. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle remaining parmesan cheese over the top and bake for another 5 minutes uncovered.

    • Notes

    This recipe makes enough for 2 9x13 baking dishes.

    © Crystal | SimplyBeingMommy.com

    Oh. My. Goodness, y’all. My children and husband loved these and not once did they complain about all the green. When I’m able to fill my family with loads of nutrient rich ingredients, that makes me one happy woman.

    Italian Sausage Stuffed Shells, y'all! Filled with veggies, it's a great way to sneak those veggies into those picky eaters.I served these delicious Italian Sausage Stuffed Shells with a salad and warm bread and called it a meal.

    It was also a great opportunity to get my oldest child into the kitchen to help with preparing dinner. She gladly chopped the spinach for me and was a master at mixing everything together. I sometimes forget to teach my children their way around the kitchen because I’m always in a rush, but I learned that it’s good to slow down. Even if that means dinner is on the table a few minutes later than expected.

    Italian Sausage Stuffed Shells, y'all! Filled with veggies, it's a great way to sneak those veggies into those picky eaters.

    The combination of flavors in this dish are exciting and definitely awakens the taste buds. The Italian sausage alone is incredibly tasty but adding all the other flavors and textures brightens up the dish.

    If you have a small family, I would definitely half this recipe. It was more than enough for my family of five and I had to send a whole dish home with my father. This recipe would be perfect for entertaining a big crowd or for a potluck.

    Italian Sausage Stuffed Shells, y'all! Filled with veggies, it's a great way to sneak those veggies into those picky eaters.

    Are you a fan of Italian sausage? What’s your favorite way to serve it?

    Tweet3
    Share177
    Share
    Pin28
    208 Shares

    About Crystal

    Crystal Reagan, the owner and founder of SimplyBeingMommy.com lives in Small Town, Texas with her husband and 3 children. Crystal and her website have been featured on local and national news stations including Channel 2 Houston and ABC News. She has also appeared on BetterTV as a Mommy Expert for VTech.

    Comments

    4. Amiyrah says

      We absolutely love stuffed shells in our house but I don’t make them nearly enough. They are such an inexpensive meal! You recipe looks divine.

      Reply

    19. Colleen says

      These look great. I absolutely love Italian sausage. I would make two batches one with red sauce for my husband and daughter and one with a white cream sauce for myself.

      Reply

    20. Marcie W. says

      I am a big stuffed shell fan and really like the addition of both the spinach and the sausage! I’m going to have to add those in the next time I make this delicious dish.

      Reply

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Follow on Instagram
    Skip to Recipe