Creamy, savory, and so comforting, these classic Cheese Stuffed Shells bake into a cheesy and nostalgic meal the whole family will love! Featuring sausage and a delicious tomato sauce, this dish is packed with Italian-style flavors.
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Great for a family Sunday dinner, these baked stuffed shells include classic flavors and gooey, melty cheese. With just one serving this is destined to become a family favorite!
Why This Recipe Works
Made with classic ingredients and flavors you know and love, these baked and perfectly al dente pasta shells include a delicious cheese filling that puts other pasta recipes to shame!
This recipe comes together in just 50 minutes from start to finish, so it's just as great for a weekend meal as it is for a quick weeknight dinner. Serve with your favorite side dishes to turn this into an unforgettable dining experience.
And for even more cheesy pasta goodness, try my Philly Cheesesteak Pasta Casserole or a big plate of Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta!
Ingredients Needed
- Cheese: A blend of cream cheese, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, and mozzarella cheese give this dish a melty and delicious quality.
- Frozen Spinach: You can use fresh spinach, but you'll need to wilt it first.
- Italian Seasoning
- Ground Italian Sausage: Adds some extra protein and savory flavor.
- Garlic and Onion
- Diced Tomatoes
- Marinara Sauce: Feel free to use your favorite homemade red sauce or grab a jar of your favorite store bought option.
- Heavy Cream
- Jumbo Pasta Shells
- Fresh Basil: An optional garnish.
How to Make Cheese Stuffed Shells
- Step 1: Cook the jumbo shells for 2 to 3 minutes, just shy of al dente. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, mozzarella, cottage cheese, Italian seasoning, and spinach.
- Step 2: Add the sausage and onions to a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook until the sausage is browned and the onions are translucent, then add the garlic and cook 30 seconds.
- Step 3: Pour in the marinara sauce and tomatoes and bring to a simmer.
- Step 4: Reduce to low heat and mix in the heavy cream.
- Step 5: Take the cooked jumbo shells and stuff them with the cheese filling. Add half of the sauce to the bottom of a baking dish and layer the shells over top of the sauce.
- Step 6: Pour the rest of the sauce over top of the stuffed shells.
- Step 7: Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes.
- Step 8: Remove the foil, sprinkle the remaining cheese over top, and bake another 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Garnish with more Parmesan and fresh basil if desired.
- Prep this dish up to 2 days ahead of time and store in the fridge covered with foil. When you bake it, you may need to add 5 to 10 minutes to account for the cold temperature.
- Instead of sausage, you can use ground beef, ground turkey, or ground chicken.
- Allow the refrigerated ingredients like the cream cheese or ricotta cheese come up to room temperature to make it easier to mix up the cheese filling.
- If you have leftovers, either cover the casserole dish with plastic wrap or foil, or transfer them to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for 3 to 4 days or in the freezer for a month or so. The cheese filling may separate a bit in the freezer.
- Reheat by baking at 350 or microwaving individual portions. From frozen, allow the leftovers to thaw first.
Recipe FAQ's
Aside from melty cheese, adding ground beef or ground sausage is a great way to add some extra flavor and make your stuffed shells more filling.
If your cottage cheese has too much moisture, it may result in watery shells. Be sure to drain out any excess liquid before you mix it in with the rest of the filling ingredients.
More Comforting Pasta Recipes
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Cheese Stuffed Shells With Sausage Tomato Cream Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
- 2 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese divided
- 1 cup frozen spinach thawed and water removed
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 pound ground Italian sausage
- 1 cup white onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (24 ounce) jar marinara sauce
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 25 jumbo pasta shells I recommend making a couple extra
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Fresh basil for garnish
Instructions
- Heat a pot of boiling water and cook the pasta shells for 2-3 minutes, shy of being al dente. They should still feel firm but pliable to stuff. Drain and rinse with cold water.
- In a large bowl mix together the softened cream cheese, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, cottage cheese, Italian seasoning and spinach until combined and set aside.
- Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat and add in the Italian sausage and diced onions. Brown the sausage until crumbly and onions are soft about 6-8 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook another 30 seconds, then drain any excess fat.
- Add in the marinara sauce, and canned tomatoes and bring to a simmer.
- Reduce the heat to low and stir in the heavy cream until combined.
- Pour half of the sauce into the bottom of the baking dish.
- Stuff the cheese filling into the shells and place them open side up into the baking dish.
- Spread the remaining sauce on top of the stuffed shells. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and bake uncovered for another 10-15 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
- Sprinkle the grated parmesan cheese on top with fresh chopped basil and serve!
Notes
- This dish can be prepped 2 days ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until ready to bake. You may have to add 10 minutes to the covered cooking time.
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