Stuffed Shells with Sausage and Peppers

Ingredients (Serves 4 – 6)

Recipe courtesy – Orsara Recipes

1. Jumbo shells – 8 – 12 oz

2. Olive oil – 2 – 3 tsp

3. Italian chicken sausages – 3, casings removed

4. Garlic – 3, minced

Onion – 1/3 cup, chopped

Bell pepper, green and red – 1/3 cup each

5. Mozzarella cheese – 1/2 + 1/2 cup

Parmesan cheese – 1/4 + 1/4 cup

6. Salt – Only if required

Pepper powder – To taste

7.mTomato sauce / marinara sauce – 1 jar

8. Fresh parsley – 2 tbsp, finely chopped (optional)

Method

1. Heat 2 – 3 tsp of olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add sausage, mix well and break it into smaller pieces with spatula while cooking. Add garlic, onion and bell pepper. Cook for a few minutes over medium heat. Add pepper powder and mix well. Switch off. Set aside to cool down. Add 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese. Mix well and set aside until ready to use.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add jumbo shell pasta and cook for about 1 minute lesser than al dente (or cooking time found on the package). Drain and rinse in cool water to stop cooking (rinsing is optional, I didnt do it). Set aside.

3. Preheat oven at 400 F.

4. Coat the bottom of a large / two medium baking dishes with 1/2 – 1 cup marinara sauce (depending on the size of the dish or as much as you prefer). Working with one shell at a time, stuff around 1.5 – 2 tbsp of the sausage and pepper into the shell. Top it with 1 – 1.5 tbsp marinara sauce followed by 2 – 3 tsp shredded mozarella cheese and a little parmesan cheese. You can add more sauce and cheese, if you prefer.

5. Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 12 – 15 minutes until the cheese melts. Remove from oven. Sprinkle finely chopped parsley on top and serve immediately. Enjoy!!

Tip

Do top the shells with a little more sauce than I did because once baked, the pasta tends to get a little dry . Or you can avoid this by covering the baking dish with foil.