Ground beef, Italian sausage, herbs and three kinds of cheese are the filling for jumbo pasta shells in this family favorite recipe.
Friends, I could rave for hours about these Beefy Sausage Stuffed Shells and I still don’t think you’d understand how good they are. Just make them. Immediately if possible.
I’ve tried lots of recipes for stuffed pasta over the years, and this one is easily the favorite–of both me and the rest of my family.
There aren’t any fancy ingredients, and the preparation is pretty straightforward, but somehow it all comes together in an amazing, delicious, hearty, satisfying meal that we never get tired of.
There’s probably something to the fact that it’s all made from scratch, so this is one time where you don’t want to take shortcuts and use jarred marinara sauce.
Nothing against jarred sauce! I use it all the time. But this is definitely one time where you’ll want to spend five minutes throwing a handful of things into a pot to simmer while you work on the rest of the recipe.
This pasta recipe makes enough for a crowd, especially if you serve some crusty bread and a green salad on the side.
But don’t be tempted to half the recipe. Make it all and freeze the leftovers in smaller batches for a quick meal later on. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did.
And speaking of leftovers, they’re delicious, if you’re lucky enough to have any. This is one of those meals where people might fight over the leftovers, so if you want them for yourself, hide them away in the back of the refrigerator.
You can use ground turkey in place of the ground beef. I wouldn’t swap out the sausage though, because it adds so much flavor to the filling.
These Beefy Sausage Stuffed Shells are one of those tried and true, all-time family favorites that you’ll find yourself making again and again. I hope you love them as much as we do.
Be sure to save this recipe for Beefy Sausage Stuffed Shells to your favorite Pinterest board for later.
Here’s what you’ll need to make Beefy Sausage Stuffed Shells
- Jumbo pasta shells
- Crushed tomatoes
- Produce: tomatoes, onions, garlic, basil
- Butter
- Spices: Italian seasoning, salt and pepper
- Ground beef
- Italian sausage
- Parmesan cheese
- Ricotta cheese
- Mozzarella cheese
Beefy Sausage Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
- 1 16 oz. package jumbo pasta shells
For the sauce:
- 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 4 Roma tomatoes coarsely chopped
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the filling
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage casings removed
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Rinse with cool water, drain, and set aside.
- Meanwhile, add all of the ingredients for the sauce to a Dutch oven. Bring to a simmer and stir occasionally for about 30 minutes while you prepare the filling.
- In a large skillet, brown the ground beef, sausage, onion and garlic until the meat is cooked through and browned. Add the mixture to a large bowl and stir in the rest of the filling ingredients, reserving 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish and spread a generous layer of the sauce over the bottom. Generously stuff the cooked pasta shells with the meat mixture and place in the prepared dish.
- Place the stuffed shells close together in the pan. Spoon the remaining sauce over the shells. Bake for about 30 minutes.
- Remove the shells from the oven and top with the reserved 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese. Bake for another 5-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly.
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Nutrition
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Who Dished It Up First: Adapted from Rustic Joyful Food
1 comment
Mary
Made your recipe tonight for company; the best we have ever had , even in a restaurant. This is definitely a keeper. The recipe makes plenty , 9-12 plus a 8 inches dish.will make again.