This Heavenly Mouth-Watering Giant Stuffed Pasta Shells dish has been a long-time favorite. Family and friends all seem to love this take on pasta shells. It is a great make-ahead recipe!
We are using ground turkey, a healthier meat alternative to beef in this recipe. Overall, this baked pasta recipe is cheesy, creamy, and comforting.
Heavenly Mouth-Watering Giant Stuffed Pasta Shells
Print RecipeIngredients
- 1 box of giant pasta shells
- 1/2 pound ground turkey
- 1/2 pound turkey sweet sausage links
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup fine dry Italian-style or seasoned bread crumbs
- 1/2 box frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 1/2 jars of your favorite red pasta sauce
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese or 1/2 cup additional shredded mozzarella
Instructions
1. Cook pasta shells in boiling water according to package directions, drain and rinse with cold water, then drain again and set aside.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook meat (squeeze the sausage out of the casing), onion and garlic until meat is browned. Remove from heat, drain fat from skillet.
3. Pour meat into a large bowl. Stir in the mozzarella cheese, beaten eggs, bread crumbs, spinach and pepper.
4. Pour enough pasta sauce into the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish to cover thickly.
5. Using a pampered chef’s cookie scoop, open the shell and scoop the meat mixture into each pasta shell. Arrange the stuffed shells over the sauce in the dish.
6. Pour the remaining sauce over the shells. Sprinkle with either the grated parmesan cheese or additional shredded mozzarella cheese. Loosely cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake in a 375-degree oven for about 30 minutes until bubbly, then remove foil and continue baking for 10 more minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.
Note:
This dish can be modified to 1 pound of ground beef or 1 pound of ground turkey. To turn this dish into a make-ahead meal, completely cool the cooked meat mixture and shells before filling them. Fill shells as directed, cover the dish and refrigerate up to overnight. Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes covered. Uncover and continue baking for 15-20 minutes more until heated through and the cheese starts to brown.
