In these delicious Sausage and Arugula Stuffed Shells; italian sausage, garlic and wilted arugula is mixed with creamy ricotta and fresh mozzarella and stuffed into shells. If that wasn’t already incredible, the whole this is then topped with a homemade chunky tomato sauce and cheese.

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I hate saying goodbye to a fantastic weekend.

They always go by way to fast, yet Monday through Friday just sort of drags. Why is that? Saturday, Pat and I along with 3 other couples (and also our closest friends) went to Michigan Escape Games. We were locked in a room and had to find clues, solve puzzles and get out of the room in under 1 hour. Since we were in the CSI room, where a horriffic murder happened, we also had to solve the crime.

It was the most fun I’ve had in quite a while. We’ve all been friends for EVER, so working together was easy with a lot of laughs. We did end up getting out of the room with 4.58 minutes on the clock but we did not solve the crime. Womp-womp.

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Call me gumshoe because I love those kinds of things, puzzle-solving is in my DNA. Sort of like cheesy stuffed shells.

I love cheese stuffed pasta anything. Remember these Lemon-Basil Ricotta stuffed shells in a Champagne Cream Sauce?? So in today’s recipe, I’m switching things up from traditional spinach and using arugula. I spied this pretty bunch of peppery arugula at my local market and decided to give it a whirl. I wilted it in a pan with garlic and mixed it with crumbled hot Italian sausage, ricotta, fresh Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Have mercy.

I also made a easy homemade chunky tomato sauce too. Not to brag or anything. #totallybragging

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To Make These Sausage and Arugula Stuffed Shells You Will Need:

TO MAKE THE SAUCE:
  • canned whole tomatoes with basil
  • shallot
  • garlic
  • dried oregano
  • sugar
  • kosher salt
  • ground black pepper
TO MAKE THE PASTA DISH:
  • jumbo shell pasta
  • 1 tablespoon sea salt
  • olive oil
  • hot italian sausage
  • the above chunky tomato sauce
  • fresh arugula
  • garlic
  • whole milk ricotta
  • fresh mozzarella
  • parmesan cheese
  • egg
  • parsley (for garnish)

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Add a 28-ounce can of whole tomatoes with basil into a food processor.

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Pulse until chunky and set aside.

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Fill a large pot with water, season with a tablespoon of sea salt, cover and bring it to a rolling boil. Add in the pasta, decrease the heat to medium-high and cook the shells for 2 minutes less as directed on the packaging.

You won’t use the entire box of pasta, but sometimes shells tear and break. You’ll have extras just in case this happens.

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Meanwhile, drizzle some olive oil onto a rimmed baking sheet and smear it all over. After the pasta has par-cooked you’ll place the shells onto the greased pan.

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Grab around 6 ounces of arugula tops, discarding any tough stems. Prep it by rinsing any sandy dirt off and pat (or spin in a salad spinner) dry.

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Give it a rough chop and set off to the side.

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Drain the pasta.

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Transfer the shells to the greased pan.

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Finely mince 5 cloves of garlic and dice a large shallot.

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Crumble and cook 3 links of hot Italian sausage over medium heat until browned and cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked sausage to a medium bowl.

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Add the shallot and 2/3 of the garlic (reserving the rest for the arugula) into the sausage grease.

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Cook for 2 to 4 minutes or until soft and tender, then add in 1/2 teaspoon of oregano. I crush the oregano in the palm of my hand before adding.

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Continue cooking for 1 minute.

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Pour in the crushed tomatoes.

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And add in 1/4 of the browned sausage.

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Add in a pinch of sugar, 3/4 teaspoon of kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes before transferring it to a clean 4 cup liquid measuring cup or medium bowl.

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Wipe the pan out with paper towel, drizzle in 1 teaspoon of olive oil and add in the remaining garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes.

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Next add in the arugula.

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Season with a pinch of kosher salt.

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…and cook until wilted, about 2 to 4 minutes.

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Transfer the wilted arugula and garlic too the bowl with the Italian sausage. Allow these to cool down for a few minutes.

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Once again I chose a bowl to small to combine the ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan, but I managed to get it done. Alternatively, you could add these to the bowl with the sausage and arugula once they have cooled.

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Lightly beat a large egg.

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Add it to the bowl with the ricotta, sausage and arugula.

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Mix until completely combined.

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Pour 2/3 cup of sauce into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.

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Smear that goodness all around.

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Now use a teaspoon to spoon the ricotta-sausage-arugula mixture into the shells.

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…and arrange them, side-by-side in the baking pan.

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Spoon the remaining sauce over top.

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Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese over top.

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Cover with aluminum foil and bake in a pre-heated 375° oven for 30 minutes.

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Yes and YES! I thought the sauce to cheese filled pasta was perfect, however Pat wanted more sauce because it was SO good. I’m just not the biggest fan of overdoing things in sauce. I like seeing the shells, the edges get a little crispy during baking- but feel free to double the sauce if you desire your stuffed shells to be fully submerged.

I also was smitten with the sausage and arugula combo. And the melty cubes of mozz.

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This will feed a small army but you could most definitely divide the recipe among two pans and freeze one half to bake later.

You will love these.

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Enjoy! And if you give this Sausage and Arugula Stuffed Shells recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!

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Yield: 8 servings

Sausage and Arugula Stuffed Shells

Italian sausage, garlic wilted arugula, creamy ricotta and fresh mozzarella stuffed shells covered with a homemade chunky tomato sauce.

Ingredients

FOR THE SAUCE:

  • 1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes with basil
  • 1 large shallot, diced
  • 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, ground in palm
  • pinch of sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, more or less to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper, to taste

FOR THE PASTA:

  • 16 ounces jumbo shells
  • 1 tablespoon sea salt
  • olive oil
  • 1/2 pound hot Italian sausage, casings removed (and discard) and crumbled
  • 6 ounces fresh arugula, tough stems removed and coarsely chopped
  • 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
  • 3 cups whole milk ricotta
  • 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, diced into 1/2 inch cubes (or about 1 heaping cup)
  • 6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions 

  • Fill a large pot with water and season with a tablespoon of sea salt. Bring to a boil, drop in the pasta and cook 2 minutes less than directed on the package. In the meantime, lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet. Drain the pasta and place pasta on the prepared pan.
  • Meanwhile add the whole tomatoes and basil to a food processor, pulse until chunky. Combine the tomatoes with the liquids in the can in a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup.
  • Heat a teaspoon of oil in a large skillet and cook the crumbled sausage until browned and no longer pink. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked sausage to a bowl.
  • Add diced shallot and 3 cloves of minced garlic to the fat in the pan and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add in the 1/2 teaspoon of oregano and cook for 1 minute. Add in the tomatoes, sugar, salt and pepper and simmer on medium-low for 10 minutes. Remove and transfer to a clean bowl and wipe the pan out with paper towel or a clean kitchen towel.
  • Add a teaspoon of oil to the pan along with the two remaining cloves of garlic. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes before adding in the arugula and a pinch of salt. Cook until wilted and then transfer to the bowl with the Italian sausage. Allow to cool.
  • To the bowl with the sausage and arugula, add in the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan and beaten egg. Mix until combined and then use teaspoons to fill each shell.
  • Pour 2/3 cup of the sauce into the bottom of a large baking pan and spread it around. Place the shells side-by-side and cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of Parmesan, cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 30 minutes.
  • Uncover, sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.
Serving: 1g, Calories: 607kcal, Carbohydrates: 52g, Protein: 32g, Fat: 30g, Saturated Fat: 16g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 118mg, Sodium: 1771mg, Potassium: 615mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 1291IU, Vitamin C: 14mg, Calcium: 468mg, Iron: 3mg