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Cheese-Stuffed Shells Recipe

Cheese-Stuffed Shells Recipe photo by Taste of Home

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When I was living in California, I tasted this rich cheesy pasta dish at a neighborhood Italian restaurant. I got the recipe and made a few changes to it in my own kitchen. I'm happy to share it with you. —Lori Mecca, Grants Pass, Oregon

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Cheese-Stuffed Shells Recipe

Prep: 35 min. Bake: 50 min.

Yield: 12 Servings

35 50 85

Ingredients

1 pound bulk Johnsonville® Ground Sausage
1 large onion, chopped
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, cubed
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup 4% cottage cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
24 jumbo pasta shells, cooked and drained
SAUCE:
1 can (29 ounces) tomato sauce
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
1-1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1-1/2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

In a large skillet, cook sausage and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in the spinach, cream cheese and egg. Add 1 cup mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and cinnamon if desired.
Stuff pasta shells with sausage mixture. Arrange in two 11-in. x 7-in. baking dishes coated with cooking spray. Combine the sauce ingredients; spoon over shells.
Cover and bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until bubbly and cheese is melted. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Yield: 12 servings.

Nutritional Facts 2 stuffed shells equals 397 calories, 23 g fat (14 g saturated fat), 94 mg cholesterol, 1,097 mg sodium, 24 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 24 g protein.

Originally published as Cheese-Stuffed Shells in Taste of Home April/May 1995, p25

Full-Bodied White Wine

Enjoy this recipe with a full-bodied white wine such as Chardonnay or Viognier.

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Reviews for Cheese-Stuffed Shells

Cheese-Stuffed Shells

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Reviewed on May. 22, 2011 by brbrown96

Oh MI GOSH! These are divine! I was hesitant about the cinnamon, but it was good. I think I will try it without next time... Just to compare. If you need to save time, a jarred sauce works just as well. This makes a TON so freezing is a definite. I fed 2 families and STILL had left overs (which were DELICIOUS)! Kudos!

Reviewed on May. 19, 2011 by LauraManning

These are really good! I'll make a couple of changes next time-omit the cinnamon (I used about 1/2 the amount, but it was still a rather odd flavor to me in this dish), and I will use 1/2 ground chuck to cut down on the overall richness of the filling. Definitely a keeper! My somewhat picky 2 year old even liked it.

Reviewed on May. 18, 2011 by suelovesfood

Made this tonight, husband said "this is great", family readily agreed! Italian? Greek? Etc? Who cares! Delicious!

Reviewed on May. 18, 2011 by suelovesfood

Delicious! My family greatly enjoyed! i used hot italian sausage for a little kick! It s wonderful!

Reviewed on May. 18, 2011 by antonich29

Excellent-unless you want "true" Italian. But then you shook at an Italian recipe site. This was fabulous and easy as far as shells go!

Reviewed on May. 18, 2011 by antonich29

Excellent-unless you want "true" Italian. But then you shook at an Italian recipe site. This was fabulous and easy as far as shells go!

Reviewed on May. 18, 2011 by angiekaiser

This was an amazing dish, my entire family loved it! The only thing I changed was instead of the cottage cheese, I substituted sour cream and left out the cinnamon and oregano. I loved that it made two pans, one to enjoy and one to freeze! :)

Reviewed on May. 18, 2011 by angiekaiser

Reviewed on May. 15, 2011 by bobeezwrld

I could honestly eat this meal every day for the rest of my life.

Reviewed on May. 14, 2011 by carollarsen

Not the best diet dish but oh so tasty. Instead of doing the shells which is time consuming, I used no boil lasagna noodles. It makes a great easy dish. Served with a salad, you've got a great/easy dinner.

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