I remember growing up eating stuffed shells as a kid and by the time I started to cook for myself, they seemed complicated enough that I didn’t think they were worth the effort… that is, until we tried this recipe from the Smitten Kitchen a few years ago. We first cooked it back when Jenney was a vegetarian, but recently tried cooking it with a little bit of sausage mixed in and it was fabulous! Hope you enjoy this tasty recipe for a blustery February week.
Sausage and Artichoke Stuffed Shells
18 Jumbo pasta shells (about half of a 12-oz box)
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 large onion, diced
12 oz frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and patted dry
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 large egg yolks
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
ground black pepper
1/2 lb mild or hot Italian sausage – casings removed.
1 28-oz can of your favorite tomato sauce (we used our canned tomatoes from the summertime)
DIRECTIONS
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and cook the shells according to the package directions.
2. Drain and toss with a little bit of olive oil to prevent sticking.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil. If using sausage links, remove the sausage from their casings. Break sausage into small pieces with your hands and add to frying pan.
4. Cook sausage until browned on the outside and cooked through. Remove sausage from skillet and set aside for later.
5. Melt the butter in the skillet over medium heat, letting it cook until it turns brown and has a nutty smell, stirring occasionally.
6. Add the onion, 1 Tbsp olive oil and cook until the onion is slightly brown and caramelized, about 7 minutes.
7. Add the artichoke hearts and cook for another 5 minutes, until slightly softened. Add the vinegar and cook until it disappears.
8. Remove the pan from the heat, and let cool slightly. Transfer the artichoke mixture to the bowl of a food processor, add the cheeses, egg yolks, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Pulse the food processor until well chopped, but still slightly coarse.
9. Pour the mixture into a large bowl and mix in the sausage bits.
10. Preheat oven to 350F. Pour 2 cups of sauce into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.
11. Scoop 2 Tbsp of artichoke/sausage filling into each cooked shell. Arrange the shells seam up in the baking dish and distribute the remaining tomato sauce over the tops of the shells.
12. Bake the shells in the oven, covered in foil, for 30 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes. Remove from oven and serve immediately.
13. Enjoy!