Skillet Stuffed Shells with Italian Sausage

If you thought I would make a salad on National Spinach Day, you obviously don't know me! I need cheese, tons of flavor, a little heat and if it’s something the whole family can enjoy, that’s a win-win. These skillet stuffed shells with Italian sausage check all the boxes. Packed with garlic, parmesan, ricotta, spices and of course, spinach - I can guarantee everyone will be having seconds.

Pro Tip: This recipe is enough to fit into two skillets. I used both a 12-inch and a 10.5-inch skillet (with a few shells leftover). If you’re cooking for the family, I made one with spicy Italian sausage and the other without. 

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The Ingredients

• 12 oz package of jumbo pasta shells
• 16 oz Italian sausage (can use hot)
• 16 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 32 oz ricotta cheese 
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• ½  tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 5 cloves fresh chopped garlic
• ¾ cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 cups spinach, roughly chopped
• 2 x 24 oz jars of marinara sauce
• Crushed red pepper and additional parmesan cheese for serving

The Steps

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the shells according to the directions (al dente) then drain and set aside. Remove Italian sausage from casing and cook on your skillet until done (while making sure to crumble it along the way). Once done, remove from the heat, drain the fat and set aside.  
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine 10 oz of the shredded mozzarella, ricotta, ½ cup of the parmesan, chopped garlic, eggs and spices. Then stir in the chopped spinach. 
3. Coat the bottom of the 12-inch Stargazer Cast Iron Skillet with one jar of the spaghetti sauce and do the same with the 10.5-inch Stargazer Cast Iron Skillet (using less sauce if you prefer given the smaller skillet). Scoop the ricotta mixture and spoon into each shell, lining them open side up and closely together in the skillet (there’s plenty of ricotta mixture, so be generous!) When there’s no additional room, start adding them to the 10.5-inch skillet until full. 
4. Add the Italian sausage crumbles over the top of the shells then evenly sprinkle with the leftover 6 oz of shredded mozzarella and ¼ cup of parmesan. 
5. Cover each skillet with aluminum foil and bake for roughly 30 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and switch the oven to broil, moving the skillets to the top rack and broiling for 3-5 minutes or until you start to see the cheese browning. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 35 min

Serves: 4-6