Stuffed Shells with Sausage are made with tender pasta shells filled with a rich Italian sausage and cheese filling, covered in marinara, and finished with melted cheese.
author’s note
The Pasta Dinner I Make Instead Of Spaghetti!
My kids are obsessed with spaghetti. They’d eat it every single day if I let them, haha! So I’ve had to get a little creative to keep dinner from feeling like the same meal on repeat. Some nights I make my classic spaghetti bolognese or turkey bolognese, and other nights I turn to these tried-and-true Stuffed Shells with Sausage!
They’ve got the same saucy pasta feel my kids love, but with jumbo shells stuffed with the most delicious Italian sausage and creamy cheese filling.
Thanks to a few ingredient shortcuts, they’re surprisingly easy to prep and feel a little more fun than another pot of spaghetti. They bake up hot, bubbly, and packed with flavor!
Stuffed Shells with Sausage Ingredients
| Ingredient | Let’s Chat About It |
|---|---|
| Jumbo pasta shells | Cook a few extra since some usually tear while boiling. |
| Italian sausage | Use mild or hot, depending on how much heat you want. |
| Marinara sauce | Use a sauce you love since it’s a big part of the flavor. I’m fully obsessed with Rao’s® Marinara here! |
| Chive and green onion cream cheese spread | Make sure it’s the soft, spreadable kind so it mixes in easily. |
| Italian cheese blend, Parmesan, egg | If you know me, you know I rarely recommend pre-grated cheese, but this blend works well here! For the Parmesan, use fresh refrigerated Parmesan, not the shelf-stable kind. |
Quick Tip
For more flavor in these Stuffed Shells with Sausage, sauté finely diced carrots, celery, and/or green pepper with the onion.
Chelsea’s Notes
Tips For Making These Stuffed Shells with Sausage
Salt the pasta water: This is your only chance to season the actual pasta, so don’t skip it!
Stuff the shells faster: Add the sausage and cheese filling to a gallon-sized zipper-top bag, push it to one corner, and snip off a 1-inch opening. Squeeze the filling into each shell.
Cover with sauce: Spoon marinara over the shells as evenly as possible so the edges don’t dry out while baking.
Featured Comment
Made this last night…IT WAS FABULOUS! This is the first recipe I’ve seen with meat in the shell stuffing. This is dinner party worthy. A winner! Home run! Just delicious!!
– Christi
What To Serve With Stuffed Shells With Sausage
- Garlic bread: Always the easiest win with saucy pasta.
- Simple Italian salad: A crisp salad balances the rich, cheesy shells.
- Roasted broccoli: Easy, simple, and great with marinara.
- Caesar salad: So good with baked pasta and quick to throw together.
Storage
Make Ahead & Freezing
Freezing: Freeze the filled shells before adding sauce or baking. Place filled shells on a sheet pan, freeze until solid, then transfer to freezer bags. Freeze up to 3 months.
To bake Stuffed Shells with Sausage from frozen: Add marinara to the pan, place frozen shells on top, cover with more sauce, and bake uncovered at 400°F for 30 to 35 minutes, or until hot. Add cheese and bake 5 to 10 minutes more.
Make ahead: Assemble up to 1 day ahead, cover, and refrigerate. Bake covered for 30 minutes, then uncover, add cheese, and finish baking.
More Delicious Dinner Recipes
Stuffed Shells with Sausage
Equipment
- 9 x 13-inch ceramic baking pan or glass
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 24 jumbo pasta shells uncooked
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup finely diced yellow onion
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper
- 1 (24-ounce) jar marinara sauce Rao’s is my favorite
- 1 (7.5-ounce) container chive and green onion cream cheese
- 2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend divided
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- Fresh parsley optional
- Fresh basil optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch ceramic or glass baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1 cup marinara sauce over the bottom of the pan and set aside.
- Bring 12 cups water to a boil in a large pot. Once boiling, add 1 tablespoon salt. Add jumbo pasta shells and cook 1 minute less than package directions for al dente. Boil a few extra shells in case some break. Drain, rinse with cold water for 20 seconds, then spread on a sheet pan well greased with cooking spray.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add onion and cook, stirring often, for 3 to 5 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Move veggies to the side and add Italian sausage, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. I add 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, crumbling the sausage as it browns, until no longer pink and deeply browned. Remove from heat and drain off any grease.
- In a large bowl, mix cream cheese spread, 1 and 1/2 cups Italian cheese blend, Parmesan, and egg until combined. Add the cooked and slightly cooled sausage mixture and stir until evenly mixed.
- Spoon about 2 tablespoons filling into each shell, or use the bag method in Note 1. Place filled shells on top of the sauce in the prepared pan.
- Pour remaining marinara sauce over the shells, covering them as evenly as possible. Bake for 25 minutes. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup Italian cheese blend on top and bake 10 more minutes, or until cheese is melted and shells are hot throughout.
- Remove from oven and top with fresh parsley and basil, if desired. Serve hot.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My family loves the Stuffed Pasta shells! Its a staple for events we have!
Thank you,
Jan
So happy to hear this! Thanks Jan!
Yes I made the sausage stuffed pasta shells and they are a hit!
However, when I go to print this recipe there are 2 versions one calls for yellow onion and garlic, the other has no mention of the two. I actually took a picture of the one I made a couple of years ago with onion and garlic.
I am certain either would be great yet want to stick with the one I made i
Love this recipe!
Was looking for a little clarification on the cook time for making a day ahead.
Do you bake for 30min cover with foil and then 35min uncovered and another 10min with cheese like the original recipe. So an 75min cook time instead of the original 45min?
Can this recipe be made without cheese?
Yes, it will work, but it will be missing flavor
Hi, so glad I found your recipe, I went out tonight to get the ingredients to make tomorrow for company. I will be using elk Italian sausage , organic beef, they were out of the cream cheese and chives, so I bought green onions to mix in the cream cheese. I also bought the ingredients for the sausage blackberry pizza. Going to be a great week of cooking. I went to Boston to Little Italy to a restaurant and had a amazing pizza but only remember a few ingredients, maybe you could help with it, it was years ago. I know it was made with figs, prosciutto, wasn’t a red sauce , anyway delicious. Have a blessed day
Hey Lori! I hope you love this recipe and the pizza — two of my favorites! 🙂 That pizza sounds amazing!!
I made this to take to a friend and made a little dish for me so I could try it. I did not use any burger, just Italian sausage. I also added a little ricotta to the cheese mixture. Probably added more mozzarella and Italian style cheese than the recipe called for, but I love cheesy things. Excellent recipe. Used the Rao’s Marinara and it definitely added a more authentic taste. Will make an entire tray for my family soon.
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much Lori! 🙂