Italian Sausage Stuffed Shells

For me, Italian food is comfort food. Not because of remembering grandma’s home cooking, or big family dinners, or my heritage. No, it’s comfort food because it’s delicious, and the leftovers taste better than the original dinner. So here is Italian sausage stuffed shells. Sautéed Italian sausage meat stuffed in a shell with mozzarella, parmesan and ricotta. A delicious twist on a classic recipe

I’m not going to delve into the history of this dish, or its nutritional benefits. It’s meat and cheese stuffed in a pasta pouch and baked in the oven. It’s been made for centuries. And, to the best of my knowledge, it’s not healthy. The cheese, the meat, the pasta, no, it’s not healthy, but, it tastes so good. In a world where we’re trying to be more conscious of our intake, where, healthy is a keyword. Well, Italian food get a pass. There will always be a place on the table for ricotta, parmesan, Italian sausage and pasta, all in a bath of tomato sauce.

Classic stuffed shells are, by definition, just stuffed with an assortment of cheeses. Something like ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, an egg, garlic, spices, mixed together, stuffed into a pasta shell, bathed in tomato sauce and baked with more cheese. There are a thousand combinations, and, well, they’re all delicious. But, I want something more. Some meat, you know, to offset the cheese. And, when it comes to meat in Italian cooking, well, it has to be Italian sausage meat. It brings so much flavor to the dish. And there are so many options: hot, sweet, pork, chicken, turkey, there’s one for everyone. So, in the recipe, I will just say Italian sausage, and you decide what to use.

Breaking down the ingredients. Italian sausage meat is available in most stores. You could ask your butcher to sell you just the meat. However, there’s no reason you can’t buy the sausages and just remove the meat from the casing. When it comes to the cheese, there are options. With the ricotta, there’s regular or fat free, this allows for dietary concerns. However, some corners can’t be cut. Only use fresh grated parmesan, your taste buds will thank you. And, whenever possible use only fresh herbs chopped fine. It really makes a difference in the flavor. And there’s a science behind it. The herbs we buy in the plastic jars are dehydrated, they need to rehydrate to add their flavor. There is not enough moisture in this recipe to do this, so use fresh.

This dish breaks down into three individual sections: the cheese, the meat and the shells. So, lets start with the easy one, the shells. Bring water to a boil, add salt and jumbo shells, cook per box instructions, rinse in cool water to cool down and dress with olive oil to prevent sticking, set aside. Now for the cheese section. Mix ricotta, shredded mozzarella, freshly grated parmesan, fresh chopped parsley and garlic powder. Put in the fridge till needed. Now, for the meat, sauté finely diced onions, garlic and peppers till soft. Add Italian sausage meat, breaking it up as it cooks, add tomato paste and allow everything to come together for 10 mins over low heat.

Now to put everything together. Each shell will have both meat and cheese in it. Some more cheese will be sprinkled over it but not much. Line a baking dish with parchment paper and put a thin layer of tomato sauce on the bottom. Just remember to place on a wooden or fabric hot plate when you remove from the oven. This will give the shells something to sit in. Grab a shell, put about a tablespoon of meat in the bottom, add about a tablespoon of the cheese mix over the meat. Lay the stuffed shell in the baking dish. Do the same for all the shells. This should take care of all the meat and cheese, however, you can save what you don’t use.

Put the shells in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 mins. Now sprinkle a little shredded mozzarella over everything and give it another 10 mins. You’re looking for a little char on the cheese. Now remove and let sit for 5 mins before serving. Now you have Italian sausage stuffed shells. Delicious for dinner, and, as with all Italian food, better when reheated, the next day.