Why I love this meat stuffed shells recipe
Stuffed shells are one of my all time favorite “special” meals. I say special because they really do take a bit of time to prepare, so you’re obviously not going to make them on a weekly basis. But, I still love them. If they’re on a menu at an Italian restaurant, I’m almost always going to order them. I shared my recipe for spinach and ricotta stuffed shells last summer, and believe me when I tell you they are amazing.
Since we stopped eating dairy (for the most part), I’ve been dying to come up with an equally satisfying dairy-free version, but I am not really into whole fake cheese scene. At least, not yet. So I thought I would give a meat filling a try, and to make things a little healthier, I went for Italian turkey sausage and spinach stuffed shells
And, it was a fantastic idea. They turned out perfect (after a few tweaks…), and I am almost as satisfied with them as my other recipe. Although, I really don’t think you can truly match the deliciousness that is ricotta cheese, these are definitely a close second. Plus, they’re really, really pretty.
Everyone loved them. Even my doubting family members. We served them with Caesar salad with homemade croutons.
More sausage pasta recipes: Italian sausage and peppers pasta / fennel sausage pasta / pumpkin pasta with Italian sausage / sausage tortellini soup
Ingredient notes:
- Jumbo shell pasta – You will not use all of the shells, but cook the whole box – trust me some of them will break during the cooking process.
- Dairy free mozzarella – Use your favorite brand of vegan mozzarella shreds, but I’ve made a guide to dairy free cheeses and it includes a list of my favorite dairy free cheese.
- Nutritional yeast – This adds a bit of extra cheesy flavor.
- Breadcrumbs – Make sure to use a brand that does not contain hidden dairy ingredients.
- Italian sausage – Check ingredients for dairy. We used a variety of mild Italian sausage for this recipe but you can use your favorite Italian sausage – hot, sweet or mild.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
How to make sausage stuffed shells
Cook the shells. Boil a large pot of water and and a heaping tablespoon or two of salt. Add the shells and cook according to the package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
If you’re not stuffing the shells right away, drizzle them with oil to prevent them from sticking.
Make the filling. In a large mixing bowl, combine the filling ingredients and mix until combined. Try your best not to over mix, or you’ll end up with a tough filling. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just mixed.
Mix the sauce. In a separate mixing bowl, stir the sauce ingredients together until smooth. Set aside.
Stuff the shells. Spread a thin layer or sauce into the baking dish and then scoop filling into each cooked shell and line them up in the baking dish.
I like to use a large cookie scoop to portion my filling for the shells, but you can use a spoon if you want. Just do your best to fill them with the an equal amount so they cook evenly.
Bake the shells. Top the shells with any remaining sauce and cover the dish with foil. Bake for about 40 – 45 minutes, then remove the cover and bake for an additional 10 – 15 minutes.
Serve the shells. Make sure the filling reaches 165˚F before remove them from the oven. Then let the shells cool for about 5 – 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh herbs such as basil or parsley, or your favorite dairy free cheese (or regular cheese if you’re not dairy free).
Frequently asked questions
Stuffed shells are made for freezing. I like to freeze mine uncooked and un-sauced, then I assemble and bake as directed when I’m ready. But, you can freeze your leftovers too.
This recipe should last for 3 – 5 days in the fridge as long as it’s stored in an airtight container or tightly covered in plastic wrap. But, always use your best judgment before consuming leftovers.
More recipes you’ll love: southwest chicken stuffed peppers / puff pastry sausage rolls / Italian sausage risotto.
Meat Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
For the shells:
- 1 pound mild Italian sausage*
- 1/2 pound ground beef, 80-85% lean
- 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs*
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 12- ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained of water
- 1 cup dairy free mozzarella
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- Pinch of coarse salt
For the sauce:
- 2 28- ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons dried basil
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F.
- Cook pasta shells in salted water according to package directions for al dente.
- While the pasta is cooking, mix the filling ingredients together in a large bowl until evenly combined.
- In a separate large bowl, mix the sauce ingredients together.
- When the pasta is cooked, drain and rinse with cool water.
- Spread a thin layer of the pasta sauce in the bottom of a large baking dish.
- Stuff each shell with a few tablespoons of the filling and place into the baking dish. Continue until all shells are stuffed. Top with additional sauce.
- Cover the pan with foil and bake the shells for 40-45 minutes, or until the filling reaches 160˚F. Remove from oven and allow the shells cool for about 5 – 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
3am and I realize I never added the shells to my grocery order. I open the link to see “did I forget that recipe altogether?!” And no, I didn’t. The shells aren’t on the ingredient list…. So is it 1 box then?
Yes one 16 oz. box. If you buy the large shells there will be about 12 in a 16 oz. box.
How do I cook the frozen, uncooked unsauced shells ? Thanks !
You should follow the directions on the package of shells. Making sure to cook to al dente, this is important so the shells do not over cook when they absorb juices during baking.
Hi! So I don’t make/cook the stuffing first? The meat goes in the cooked shells raw?
stuff the meat filling into the precooked shells cover with sauce and bake.
This didn’t answer the question. Is the filling cooked prior to baking?
Ok folks. I just made these. Do not cook anything except the pasta. You stuff with the raw meat mixture as it is like your making a meatloaf if that makes sense I warmed the sauce because cold sauce doesn’t absorb the seasings IMO. I hope this helps.