Stuffed Pasta Shells
Stuffed pasta shells filled with ricotta and Italian sausage and cooked in a creamy vodka sauce. It is the perfect make-ahead, comforting baked pasta dish!
Servings: 8 people
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- Kosher salt
- 1 lb Italian sausage casing removed
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream
- 30 oz canned tomato sauce
- ½ cup vodka
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- ¾ lb jumbo shells
- 15 oz ricotta
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 5 fresh basil leaves thinly sliced
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and preheat the oven to 400 °F.
- Cook the sausage mixture: Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Add the oil, onions, and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes. Turn the heat up to medium-high heat and add the Italian sausage. Use the back of a wooden spoon to break up the sausage and cook until fully cooked and browned. Add in the garlic and stir until fragrant. Remove the sausage mixture from a pan and into a medium mixing bowl. Set it aside to cool while you make the sauce. Remove excess grease from the pan.
- Make the sauce: To the same pan, add the cream. Allow the cream to simmer and reduce until you can clearly see the bottom of the pan when a spoon runs along it (about 10 minutes). Add the tomato sauce, vodka, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir well and simmer the sauce until slightly thickened (about 15 minutes). Take the sauce off the heat. Reserve about ¾ cup of sauce (see note below about baking dish reccomendations).
- Meanwhile, finish making the sausage filling. Combine the cooked sausage and onions with the ricotta, parmesan and a pinch of salt and pepper. Taste, adjusting for seasoning, before mixing in the egg.
- Meanwhile, cook the shells in the large pot of salted water until al dente. Strain.
- To assemble, fill the inside of each shell with a spoonful of the sausage mixture. Arrange the stuffed shells in the sauce. Drizzle the reserved sauce on top. Top evenly with mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is beginning to turn golden brown. Garnish with fresh basil before serving.
Notes
- I like using the large cast iron pan I cooked the sauce in, in addition to a smaller casserole pan (8x5) that I save and freeze for later. You can fit them all tightly packed into a 9x13 or spread them out more and also use a smaller casserole pan.
