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Cheese Stuffed Shells with Meat Sauce
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5 from 1 vote

Cheese Stuffed Shells with Meat Sauce

A hearty recipe for shells stuffed with three cheeses and topped with a beef meat tomato sauce.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 6 -8 servings
Calories: 981kcal

Ingredients

  • 8 oz jumbo pasta shells

Three Cheese Filling

  • 30 oz whole milk ricotta cheese
  • 8 oz Parmesan cheese grated and divided
  • ½ cup Romano cheese grated
  • 1 whole large egg
  • 1 basil leaves chopped
  • 4 tablespoons parsley minced and divided
  • salt and pepper to taste

Meat Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ of a white onion chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 lb Italian sausage
  • ½ cup red wine
  • 28 ounces can crushed tomatoes
  • 15 ounces can tomato sauce
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Add the onions and garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
  • Add the Italian sausage and brown, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks.
  • Pour in red wine and let it cook for 2 more minutes.
  • Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce, and stir. Then add the sugar and salt.
  • Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low.
  • Cover and cook 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine Ricotta, half of the Parmesan, Romano, egg, salt and pepper, basil, and 2 tablespoons of parsley.
  • Stir until combined.
  • Transfer mixture to large freezer sized Ziploc bag and set in refrigerator until needed.
  • While meat sauce is still cooking, cook the pasta shells for half the cooking time. Make sure not to overcook.
  • Drain and rinse in cool water, and set aside.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F when meat sauce is done cooking.
  • To assemble, coat the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish with about ⅓ of the sauce.
  • Fill each shell with cheese mixture, by cutting the end of the plastic baggie off and piping it into each shell. Place the shells face down and top with remaining sauce.
  • Sprinkle with other half of Parmesan cheese.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Nutrition

Calories: 981kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 52g | Fat: 61g | Saturated Fat: 29g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 23g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 191mg | Sodium: 2133mg | Potassium: 1163mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 1820IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 922mg | Iron: 5mg