Turkey Stuffed Pasta Shells are an easy to prepare, colorful and fresh main dish that is perfect for both everyday and entertaining.
Healthy Stuffed Shells with Ground Turkey
I was intimidated by stuffed shells for years – they just looked so complicated to prepare. But, I did love the presentation, and the deliciousness. Once I finally decided to give them a go, I found they’re surprisingly easy to make, and now I serve them all the time.
Ingredients for Turkey Stuffed Shells
These Turkey Stuffed Pasta Shells are not only impressive looking and scrumptious, they’re healthy too. A savory, flavorful mixture of turkey sausage, carrots, zucchini, bell pepper, onion, cream cheese and herbs is stuffed into pretty pasta shells, and baked with marinara sauce. Easy to prepare ahead, and can be frozen, too!
How to Make Ground Turkey Stuffed Shells
Here are the easy step by step instructions to make these satisfying shells:
- Prep oven and baking dish.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8-inch (or 7- by 11-inch) baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. - Cook shells.
Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside (to cool and dry out). - Cook sausage and vegetables.
While shells are cooking, spray a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray and place over medium heat. Add turkey sausage, carrot, zucchini, pepper and onion and cook for 7 to 8 minutes or until sausage is no longer pink and veggies are tender. Drain off fat. - Add cream cheese and seasonings.
Reduce heat to low and stir in cream cheese, basil, dill and garlic powder and keep stirring until combined and cheese is melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat. - Add marinara to baking dish.
Spread around 1/2 cup marinara sauce in the bottom of the prepared dish. - Stuff shells.
Spoon about 3 tablespoons of turkey mixture into pasta shells and arrange, filled side up, over sauce in prepared dish. - Top with marinara sauce and bake.
Spoon remaining marinara sauce around and over the top of the stuffed shells. Bake, covered, for 30 to 40 minutes or until hot. - Top with Parmesan cheese and serve.
Remove from oven, remove cover, sprinkle shells with Parmesan cheese and serve.
Sides to Serve with Stuffed Shells with Turkey
Serve these amazing shells with a salad and some delicious bread. A few ideas:
- Caesar Salad
- Lemon Dijon Dress Spinach Salad
- Spinach Salad with Lemon Pine Nut Dressing
- Parmesan Buttermilk Cornbread
- Anise Bread
- Herb Quick Bread
Storing and Reheating Stuffed Shells with Ground Turkey
Shells can be prepared but not baked earlier in the day, covered, and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before baking. It can also be baked ahead, covered, and refrigerated for up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature before reheating in a 325-degree oven.
FAQ for Jumbo Stuffed Shells
Yes, you can freeze this pasta dish after baking. Wrap well, refrigerate and then, when chilled, freeze for up to 1month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, bring to room temperature, and reheat in a 325-degree oven.
Both manicotti and jumbo shells are designed to be stuffed. The difference is in their shape; Manicotti is long tubes, while shells are shaped like conch shells.
These stuffed shells won’t get watery as long as you drain the precooked shells well. For other stuffed shell recipes calling for ricotta or cottage cheese, make sure to drain those ingredients well, too – they both contain liquid that can make your finished dish watery.
Yes you can substitute manicotti for jumbo shells in this recipe – but I find manicotti trickier to stuff without tearing the pasta.
Pasta shells (or Conchiglie in Italian) come in three sizes – mini, medium and large (or jumbo). Large shells are the most commonly used for stuffing, the medium and mini shells in soups or pasta salads.
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Turkey Stuffed Shells
These Turkey Stuffed Pasta Shells are impressive looking, scrumptious, and, an added bonus – they’re healthy too, using ground turkey, lots of veggies and small amounts of cheese.
- Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 12 to 15 jumbo macaroni shells
- 8 ounces ground turkey (or chicken) sausage
- 1 cup finely chopped carrot
- 1 cup finely chopped zucchini
- 1 cup finely chopped red or green pepper
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 4 ounces cream cheese, cut into squares
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8-inch (or 7- by 11-inch) baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside (to cool and dry out).
- While the pasta is cooking, spray a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray and place over medium heat. Add the turkey sausage, carrot, zucchini, pepper and onion and cook for 7 to 8 minutes or until the sausage is no longer pink and the veggies are tender. Drain off fat.
- Reduce heat to low and stir in cream cheese, basil, dill and garlic powder and keep stirring until combined and the cheese is melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
- Spread around 1/2 cup marinara sauce in the bottom of the prepared dish.
- Spoon about 3 tablespoons of turkey mixture into 12 pasta shells and arrange, filled side up, over sauce in prepared dish. Spoon remaining 1 cup marinara sauce around and over the top of the stuffed shells. Bake, covered, for 30 to 40 minutes or until hot. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese before serving.
Notes
Note: I suggest preparing 15 empty shells because it’s likely that one or two will tear in either the cooking or stuffing process. That way you will definitely have 12 stuffed shells in the end!
Make ahead: Shells can be prepared but not baked earlier in the day, covered and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before cooking. Can also be baked, cooled, wrapped and frozen for up to 1 month.
- Category: main dish, pasta, poultry, healthy
