Italian Sausage Stuffed Shells 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 satisfying Italian sausage and creamy cheese filling.
Thanks to a few ingredient shortcuts, they’re surprisingly straightforward to prep and feel a little more fun than another pot of spaghetti. They bake up hot, bubbly, and packed with flavor!
Italian Sausage Stuffed Shells 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.
the cook’s Notes
Tips For Making These Italian Sausage Stuffed Shells
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 satisfying!!
– Christi
What To Serve With Italian Sausage Stuffed Shells
- Garlic bread: Always the easiest win with saucy pasta.
- Simple Italian salad: A crisp salad balances the rich, cheesy shells.
- Roasted broccoli: straightforward, 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 move to freezer bags. Freeze up to 3 months.
To bake Italian sausage stuffed shells 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.
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