Southside Sausage & Ricotta Stuffed Pasta Shells

Try these shells stuffed with flavor for an easy oven-to-table meal that tastes like you spent the whole day in the kitchen. We start with our Fresh Original Beef Sausage and mix in a variety of cheeses and sauce for a spectacular Italian-style feast. It’s a simple, delicious way to make your family feel special!

Southside Market has exceptional sausage and barbequed meat products that follow the same authentic methods from founder, William Moon, that consists of smoking low and slow over real Texas post oak wood. Their well-loved beef sausage, Sausage Slammers and signature Elgin Hot Sausage has quickly grown from an Austin staple to dinner tables around the country.

This is some of the best barbecue not only in the state of Texas but that you will ever taste. I do believe they're the oldest barbecue place in the state of Texas and they definitely have the art down. When you consider the grocery chains have picked up their sausage to sell in the grocery store once again that tells you the quality of their products... – Google Review

SOUTHSIDE SAUSAGE & RICOTTA STUFFED PASTA SHELLS

Ingredients

• 1 pkg. Southside Fresh Original Beef Sausage (remove from casing to brown)

• 1 pkg. jumbo pasta shells (16 oz.)

• 4 cups ricotta cheese

• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (16 oz.)

• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan

• 2 large eggs - lightly beaten

• 2 cloves of garlic - finely diced

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 1 tsp dried basil

• 2 tsp Southside Market Smoked Steak Seasoning or 2 tsp fine salt

• 1 large jar spaghetti sauce (24 oz.) - recommend garlic & basil flavor

• Fresh basil for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F
   

2. Warm a large skillet over medium heat, when warmed, remove the casings from the Southside Fresh Original Beef Sausage and crumble into skillet. Cook until browned, stirring every so often to help break up the sausage. Drain any excess fat and remove the skillet from heat.
   

3. Boil the shells until just soft enough to be stuffed with the filling (pliable to the touch but not completely cooked through). Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked Southside Sausage, ricotta, 1½ cups mozzarella, 1/2 cup of Parmesan, eggs, oregano, basil, Smoked Steak Seasoning, diced garlic, and garlic powder.
   

4. Coat the bottom of a 9x13in pan or a large skillet with the entire jar of spaghetti sauce (enough sauce so each shell is 1/4 covered from the bottom).
   

Tip: Use the same skillet you browned the sausage in if it’s oven safe. We used 1 cast iron skillet for this entire recipe. Using the same skillet allows the pasta sauce to pick up the sausage bits from the pan and further enhance the flavor of your sauce. Stuff or pipe the filling into the shells and place shells into the baking dish, face side up & very close together.

Tip: If you have more shells than will fit in your pan, make a second dish or freeze the extra stuffed shells for future use! Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese filling is bubbly. Remove aluminum foil and top shells with remaining mozzarella & Parmesan. Bake for an additional 10 minutes uncovered or until the cheese topping is melting & starting to brown. Let stand for at least 10 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil. Serve directly from the skillet for an easy oven to table presentation. Enjoy!

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