If you love easy, delicious dinner ideas, these Pizza Stuffed Pasta Shells are for you! All the great flavor of a pizza, in a make ahead (freezer friendly) pasta dish!
Ingredients
1 box (12 oz) jumbo pasta shells
1 lb italian sausage (removed from casings)
3 oz pepperoni, diced
½ green pepper, seeded and diced
1 small onion, diced
1 can (2.25 oz) diced black olives, drained
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 jar pizza sauce (about 1 ½ cups)
Instructions
Cook large shells pasta according to package directions. Once cooked, separate and place on parchment paper on counter. Set aside.
While pasta is cooking, brown italian sausage in a large skillet. Once browned, drain grease and return meat to skillet. Add in pepperoni, green pepper, and onion. Cook for about 3 minutes.
Add oregano, basil, and crushed tomatoes. Over low heat, simmer until sauce is warm. Stir in 1 cup mozzarella cheese.
Using a large spoon, stuff each shell with pizza mixture, until all shells are stuffed.
If baking immediately, pour about 1 ½ cups of pizza sauce in bottom of a baking dish. Choose a dish size that will fit the number of shells you are going to be cooking. For my family, we each eat about 2-3 shells per meal. On top of sauce, add shells. Cover dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes in a 350F oven. Remove foil, top with remaining cheese and bake an additional 5-15 minutes, until cheese is melted, sauce on bottom is bubbly and mixture inside shells is fully heated.
To freeze: place uncooked stuffed shells onto a baking sheet. Place in freezer for about 30 minutes. Transfer to a freezer safe ziploc bag and store frozen. When ready to bake, follow step 5 above, but add an additional 15 minutes to the baking time...making it 45 minutes in a 350F oven (with an additionaly 5-15 to melt cheese on top). ENJOY.
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