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!
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 1/2 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.
Notes
Make lots of shells at once. Have a shell stuffing party and prep pizza pasta shells, Sausage Stuffed Pasta Shells and Stuffed Taco Shells all at once. Then, you’ll have a freezer full of meals ready to heat up at a moment’s notice.
Separate shells right away after boiling. Once the pasta shells are cooked and drained, they should be separated immediately. Otherwise they’ll stick together and become more difficult to stuff.
Cheese options. Feel free to swap the mozzarella for parmesan or your other favorite pizza cheese.
Side dishes. Serve stuffed pasta shells with Easy Italian Salad on the side for a well rounded meal.
Store leftovers in refrigerator for up to 3 days, reheating in microwave or airfryer.