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Deconstructed Stuffed Shells (One Pan) 🍝
Classic stuffed shells are the kind of dish my Nonna would give a whole Sunday to: boiling the shells, piping in the ricotta, layering, baking. I love them, but they are not happening on a Tuesday. So I took the whole thing apart, the same jumbo shells, the same rich Italian-sausage-and-tomato sauce, the same three-cheese pull, all tumbled together in one pan. It comes together in about 30 minutes, and my kids still swear I worked some kind of kitchen magic. It is what I reach for when I want everyone fed something hearty and homemade without spending the whole night at the stove.
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Equipment
- 1 Large sauce pan
- 1 Deep Pan
Ingredients
- 1 12 oz Box Jumbo shell pasta
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 lb Ground Italian sausage mild
- 1/2 whole White onion or Yellow onion
- 4 whole Garlic cloves minced
- 3 tbsp Tomato paste
- 1 28 oz Can Tomatoes crushed
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Pepper
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 8 oz Whole milk Ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 2 cups Mozzarella shredded
- 3 whole Basil leaves chopped
Instructions
- Begin to boil salted pasta water in large sauce pan
- In a separate deep pan on medium heat, heat olive oil and cook Italian sausage until somewhat browned (3-4 minutes).
- Add onions and garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add tomato paste and cook for 2-3 minutes before mixing into sausage.
- Add can of tomatoes and spices.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
- Water should be boiling at this point, so cook pasta as directed on box (-11 minutes).
- After pasta is done, drain and add to sauce.
- Add ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, and basil.
- Stir until cheese is melted and cook for another 3 minutes.
- Taste for salt, if needed.
- Serve with more cheese.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
Tips for Making This Recipe
Brown the sausage properly. Give it a full 3–4 minutes undisturbed before you stir — those browned bits are where so much of the deep, savory flavor lives.
Pull the shells a minute early. Cook them just shy of the box time. They finish in the sauce and stay perfectly tender instead of turning soft.
Melt the cheese low and slow. Stir the ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan in over medium-low heat so everything goes creamy and luscious rather than stringy.
Frequently Asked Questions
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