Three Cheese and Spicy Sausage Shells

Three Cheese and Spicy Sausage Shells

I was craving a cheesy pasta bake and decided to make this the other night. It turned out better than expected. I think my boyfriend said “this is the best thing you’ve ever made” (I think he’s said that a few times but I still think that means it’s really good and really cheesy).

I recommend getting some high quality sausages for this meal. I feel like the spices in the sausage stand out and add flavour, especially if you use hot Italian.

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INGREDIENTS

1 box large pasta shells*
3 large hot Italian sausages
1 yellow onion, finely diced
1 tsp. chopped garlic
796 ml (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes, divided
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. rosemary
Salt and pepper
200 grams (about 1 cup) mozzarella cheese
50 grams (1/4 cup) shredded romano cheese
50 grams (1/4 cup) shredded parmesan cheese
1 sprig fresh basil

YIELD

5 servings

TIME

• Prep - 30 minutes

• Cook - 10 minutes

TOOLS

• Large Pot

• Colander

• 10” x 15” glass baking dish (or a 9” x 13” and another smaller baking dish)

• Nonstick frying pan

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.

2. Bring water to boil in a large pot and cook pasta for 2 minutes less than the instructions on the box. Cook until al dente and be careful not to overcook. Drain in colander and set aside until filling is cooked.

3. Crumble and cook sausages in a nonstick frying pan on low heat for 5 minutes. It can be difficult to crumble the sausages and break out of their casings so I suggest scoring with a serrated knife before adding to heat.

4. Make a hole in the middle of the pan by pushing the sausages to the edges. Add the diced onion to the pan and cook for minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 2 more minutes.

5. Measure out 3/4 cup of the crushed tomatoes and set aside. Add the rest of the can of crushed tomatoes and the oregano, basil, rosemary, salt and pepper to the pan and mix together. Cook for 2 minutes and then remove from heat.

6. Cut the mozzarella into small cubes. Pour the 3/4 cup of crushed tomatoes into a large glass baking dish and use a spoon to spread evenly to coat the bottom of the pan.

7. Be careful handling the pasta shells once they are cooked because they can hold steam and burn you even after you’ve let them cool. Take each shell and fill with a spoonful of the sausage and sauce mixture and two mozzarella cubes. Place side by side in the prepared glass pan.

8. Sprinkle romano and parmesan cheese on top of the stuffed shells. Cover completely with cheese.

9. Bake uncovered at 425°F for 10 minutes.

10. Wash and chop basil. Sprinkle on top before serving.

NOTES

*There will be about 10 pasta shells leftover. You can save for another recipe.