One Pot Italian Sausage Shells and Cheese
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This One Pot Italian Sausage Shells and Cheese recipe is the ultimate weeknight dinner. It’s easy, cheesy, and packed with flavor! Tender pasta shells are cooked right in a creamy three cheese sauce with savory Italian sausage for a hearty meal the whole family will love. Best of all, it comes together in just 45 minutes, making it perfect for busy weeknights!
“I absolutely LOVE this recipe. It is one of my go to recipes with ground sausage. I personally use spicy sausage and it gives it a nice kick!”
-Jennifer C.
There’s not much I love more than a big ol’ bowl of pasta, but when said bowl of pasta is made in one pot, in under an hour, and it’s super cheesy and flavorful, I love it even more!
This Italian shells and cheese recipe was inspired by the popularity of cheesy pasta dishes on the blog, like Buffalo Chicken Cheesy Penne, One Pot Ravioli and Buffalo Crock Pot Mac & Cheese.
It seems like you all love cheesy pasta recipes as much as I do, which is why I created another tasty one for you!
Ingredients
Here I explain the best ingredients for this Italian sausage shells and cheese recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For the exact ingredient measurements, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Garlic cloves
- Italian Sausage – you’ll want to use a loose Italian sausage, not Italian sausage links. I like to use a hot sausage, but you can also use mild, depending on your spice preference.
- Small pasta shells – you can also use another small noodle, like macaroni or cavatappi.
- Chicken broth
- Tomato sauce
- Italian seasoning – I like to use my homemade seasoning mix for the best flavor! It’s easy to mix together in just 5 minutes. Click on the link above for the recipe. You can also purchase pre-made Italian seasoning in the spice aisle at the grocery store.
- Cream cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- Mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a large pot, or dutch oven, on the stove over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add the Italian sausage and cook through for 7-9 minutes.
- Add the pasta shells, chicken broth, tomato sauce, and Italian seasoning. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer.
- Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 15-20 minutes, or until pasta is tender.
- Remove the lid, add the cream cheese, parmesan cheese, and mozzarella cheese. Stir until the cheese melts into the dish, cooking for an additional 3-4 minutes. Taste the dish and add salt to taste.
- Serve it up and garnish with a little fresh basil or parsley if you’d like!
What to serve with it
Serve the shells and cheese with a salad or bread side dish. I love it with these cheesy garlic bread nachos, garlic knots, or garlic bread. For the salad, it’s great with an Italian Salad or Caesar Salad.
More pasta recipes
Add all of these recipes to your weeknight dinner menu!
One Pot Italian Sausage Shells and Cheese
Video
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound loose Italian Sausage, hot or mild, whatever your preference!
- 12 ounces small pasta shells
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth
- 8 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 2 ounces cream cheese, cubed
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add the onion, sauté 3-4 minutes, then add the garlic and sauté for an additional minute.
- Add the Italian sausage and cook through, 7-9 minutes.
- Add the pasta shells, chicken broth, tomato sauce and Italian seasoning.
- Stir to combine and bring to a simmer.
- Cover, reduce heat to low and cook 15-20 minutes, or until pasta is tender.
- Remove the lid, add the cream cheese, parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese.
- Stir until the cheese is melted, cooking for an additional 3-4 minutes.
Notes
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat a single portion in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. Or reheat more than one portion in a pot on the stove for 5-7 minutes, or until heated through.
Nutrition Facts
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12 Comments on “One Pot Italian Sausage Shells and Cheese”
This recipe was great! Instead of tomato sauce, I used my own marinara sauce. Thank you for sharing this recipe! My family really enjoyed the meal!
Love to hear that Miriam! Thanks for sharing!
Are you sure you used tomato sauce and not tomato paste? The minimum amount of tomato sauce you can buy is an 8oz can. Tomato paste, however, comes in a 6 oz can. This is a lot of liquid so I’m just checking to see which one you meant to list. Thanks
Hi Michele, sorry for the misprint, it should say 8 ounce can tomato sauce.
Quick, easy and delicious! It was a perfect weeknight meal and my husband requested I make it again soon. Used medium shells, beef broth and shredded Parmesan and gruyere cheese since that was what I had. Fantastic!
Love to hear that! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
I absolutely LOVE this recipe. It is one of my go to recipes with ground sausage. I personally use spicy sausage and it gives it a nice kick!
Yay, so glad you’re enjoying the recipe Jennifer! Thanks for sharing!
This looks incredible!
One pot meals make things SO much easier!
Saved this a few weeks back from FoodGawker. I made it tonight to good reviews from the family. A great one-pot, weeknight meal with plenty of leftovers for lunches. I won’t use hot Italian sausage next time, but there will be a next time. I threw in a cup of spinach, which no one noticed-perfect. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Tim, so glad you and your family enjoyed the recipe! Thanks so much for sharing!