Easy stuffed shells recipe made with sausage, spinach, tomatoes and ricotta cheese. Everyone we have ever served these to loves them. Just like our cheesy veggie stuffed shells and these buffalo chicken stuffed shells, these are perfect for making ahead and for a crowd. Jump to the Sausage Stuffed Shells Recipe or read on to see our tips for making them.
How to make stuffed shells with sausage and spinach
The first time we made these, I left the table for a minute or two and came back to find that Adam had single handedly finished at least half of the shells. It was at that moment that we both knew these had to be shared with you. These stuffed shells are pretty simple to make and are perfect for making in advance. (We’ve shared lots of tips below for making them in advance).
Here are two more popular make ahead recipes: We love this Cheesy Meat Lovers Lasagna as well as this Easy Baked Spaghetti (with a creamy pesto layer in the middle).
The first step when making stuffed shells is to cook the shells. Look for large shells and cook them in salted water. The package they came in will list how long to cook them (around 10 minutes). We like to reduce the cooking time by a minute to two, which leaves the shells slightly undercooked. That’s okay, though. Once we stuff them with our sausage filling and bake them, they will be perfect.
The sausage filling is made with sausage, spinach, tomato and ricotta cheese. We love to used pork sausage in the photo below, but chicken or turkey sausage also work. After browning the sausage, we throw in a can of diced tomatoes and some thawed spinach that has been squeezed dry.
Once the sausage is cooked and the liquid in the pan has reduced some, add some ricotta cheese. We don’t use as much as when we make these cheese stuffed shells, but since this filling is all about the sausage, it’s okay.
The last step is to fill each shell with the sausage mixture, scatter with cheese, and then bake until the cheese has melted and the tips of the shells begin to brown.
Make Ahead Tips
- The filling can be made in advance and should last in your refrigerator up to 3 days and in your freezer for about 3 months. We recommend using freezer-safe glass containers, or double layers of freezer bags to store the filling. To thaw, leave it overnight in the refrigerator.
- Baked shells freeze well. Let them cool completely on a rack before freezing, and then wrap it well with foil (we use two layers). Defrost the frozen shells overnight in the refrigerator and then bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes or until heated through.
- Filled and unbaked shells can be made up to 1 day in advance. Cover the unbaked stuffed shells with foil then bake the next day in a 350 degree F oven.
Recipe updated, originally posted December 2011. Since posting this in 2011, we have tweaked the recipe to be more clear. – Adam and Joanne
Sausage Stuffed Shells with Spinach
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
The filling for these easy stuffed shells holds up well. These double as dinner or finger food. The sausage you choose is up to you. Chicken or turkey sausage instead of pork sausage would be great. If you do choose a sausage that’s lower in fat, add a little oil to the pan before browning. When making stuffed shells, add a few more dried pasta shells to the water than you will need since some will rip. The filling for this recipe should fill about 16 shells.
You Will Need
20 jumbo dried pasta shells
1 pound fresh pork sausage, casings removed (see note)
3 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (10-ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (about 1 1/4 cups)
4 ounces ricotta cheese (about 1/2 cup)
2 ounces mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated (about 1/2 cup)
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
Warm marinara sauce, for serving (optional)
Directions
- Prepare Shells
1Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 3-quart baking dish or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, add the pasta shells then follow package directions for cooking the shells. Drain, and then rinse the shells with cold water.
3Meanwhile, heat a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. As the sausage cooks, use a wooden spoon to break the sausage up into small pieces in the pan.
4Stir in the garlic, tomatoes, as well as the thawed and ringed out spinach. Cook until heated through and liquid reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat then stir in the ricotta cheese. Taste for seasoning then adjust with salt and pepper to taste.
- To Finish
1Fill each shell with sausage filling and arrange into the baking dish. Scatter mozzarella cheese on top. Bake until the tips of the shells begin to brown and the cheese has melted, about 25 minutes. Serve with a warm marinara sauce (optional).
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Depending on the store, you can find bulk sausage. If you cannot and instead buy sausage formed into links, remove the casings by cutting a slit down the sausage and pulling the casing away from the meat.
- Cooked fresh spinach can be substituted for frozen. Cook about 1 pound of fresh spinach until wilted, squeeze out excess moisture and add to the filling.
- The filling can be made in advance and should last in your refrigerator up to 3 days and in your freezer for about 3 months. We recommend using freezer-safe glass containers, or double layers of freezer bags. To thaw, leave it overnight in the refrigerator.
- Baked shells freeze well. Let them cool completely on a rack before freezing, and then wrap it well with foil (we use two layers). Defrost the frozen shells overnight in the refrigerator and then bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes or until heated through.
- Filled and unbaked shells can be made up to 1 day in advance. Cover the unbaked stuffed shells with foil then bake the next day in a 350 degree F oven.
- Nutrition Facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA Supertracker recipe calculator to calculate approximate values.
If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #inspiredtaste — We love to see your creations on Instagram and Facebook! Find us: @inspiredtaste
i want your recipe. thanks so much
Oh my! This dish was so delicious! My husband and mom loved it!! This will definitely will be on our dinner rotation😊 I did follow recipe exactly but this is a dish that can easily be customized to fit your tastes.
I made these when I found the recipe thinking they sounded good. Told my husband that I would end up making our granddaughter that lives with us a grilled cheese, cause she wouldn’t eat eat. Imagine my Surprise 🙂 she loved them and requests that I make the recipe often. Thank You for a wonderful recipe that included vegetables that I have never got her to eat before!!
We love these and I’ve made them many times but I want to make them ahead and freeze them. Could these be frozen before baking?
Hi Sally, Yes, you can freeze the shells before baking.
This was so easy to make and so good! Love how there was very little prep required. New favorite!
Super easy and yummy! I make this but add 1/8 tsp of cinnamon and it really just turns it up a notch! I also add marinara to the bottom of the pain! Yum!
This is my 3rd time making this in less than 2 weeks. I’m addicted and this recipe is why. The only thing I did differently was add about 2-3 oz of shredded Parmesan cheese to the recipe. I love these stuffed shells and they will NOT disappoint.
Pasta shells are hard to find here, I finally found some and may need to buy them in bulk before they disappear because the family loved this.
Excellent! We’re not big fans of ricotta so I used cream cheese. Delicious.
This was fantastic! Even my picky highschooler ate multuple shells, spinach and all. Followed the recipe almost exactly, I just used breakfast pork sausage instead and it was so easy!
I cant find plain pork sausage in my area. Should I use sweet italian sausage please?
Yes, that would work nicely.
I’m not a fan of ricotta cheese what cheese can I substitute that with?
Try cottage cheese instead.
We love the stuff shells but mom can’t keep them from breaking up. After trying she just doesn’t what she can. Is there a way to stuff them without breaking? Please show me by pictures. I want to make them right for a friend. Want them to like shells. Please help.
Miriam
Hi there, you can try undercooking the shells by a minute or two so that they are more sturdy and easy to handle.
Sounds great. Do you serve this alone or with a marinara sauce?
You can do either! Here’s a link to our marinara sauce recipe.