Skillet Stuffed Shells with Zucchini and Mushrooms!! Stuffed shells filled with zucchini, mushrooms and ricotta cheese. This dish is so good! It’s like deconstructed lasagna! The sauce has spicy Italian sausage and it is amazing. Skip the sausage if looking for a vegetarian meal!
Happy Monday everyone!
My kids are back in school and it’s time to get back to my regular schedule and routine. I’m still kinda waiting for spring to arrive. We caught a glimpse of some gorgeous spring weather. . but then cold and rainy (and crazy hail) hit us.
I guess it’s ok because it made me make this dish: Skillet Stuffed Shells with Zucchini and Mushrooms!!
And don’t get me wrong. This is not just cold weather food here. This is delicious, eat anytime you want Skillet Stuffed Shells with Zucchini and Mushrooms! Because of the ricotta, this dish made me think of deconstructed lasagna!
Also, I wanted to show off my new skillet from Staub. It has a wooden handle, which doesn’t get hot! and I’m in love! You can’t put it in the oven so this one is purely stovetop only!
I’ve used it for grilled cheese and other things and it’s so easy to clean! You can use warm water and dish soap but sometimes I just wipe it down with a paper towel.
Recipe Variations
Some variations on the sauce for this recipe: The sauce is homemade, but if you’re in a rush, you can absolutely use your favorite jarred chunky tomato sauce. Or, you can make my slow cooker marinara sauce! You literally dump everything into the slow cooker and about 4 hours later, it’s done! Just skip the meatballs!
So, either way, make the sauce ahead of time, or use the recipe card down below. I hope you give this recipe a try! This Skillet Stuffed Shells with Zucchini and Mushrooms is so crazy delicious. . I know you will be making this dish again and again!
- 13 to 14 jumbo pasta shells
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, split
- 6 oz. spicy Italian sausage, casing removed (I used 2 sausage links)
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
- 2 to 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1½ cups pasta water*
- kosher salt and pepper
- ½ to 1 large zucchini, grated (skin on)
- 4 to 8 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced (depending on how much you like mushrooms)
- 2 big handfuls of fresh baby spinach
- 1 cup ricotta cheese + more if desired
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, split
- freshly grated parmesan or mozzarella cheese
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the jumbo pasta shells and cook according to package instructions, MINUS 1-2 minutes (the shells will cook longer in the skillet so you don't want them to be too soft.) *Reserve 1½ cups of pasta water, and then drain the pasta and place into a bowl. Lightly drizzle the cooked shells with a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, this helps the shells not to stick together. Set aside.
- Using a large skillet over medium high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up the sausage with a wooden spoon, until browned, cooked and no longer pink. Add the garlic; let cook for 1 minute. Reduce the heat to medium; add the crushed tomatoes, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 cup of the reserved pasta water (just 1 cup; you will add more later if you need it) and ½ teaspoon salt. Stir together and let the sauce simmer for about 5 to 7 minutes, adding more cooking water if the sauce gets too thick. Taste the sauce and adjust any ingredients as needed.
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a separate skillet and cook the zucchini, mushrooms and spinach until softened for about 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and let cool for a few minutes. Add in the ricotta cheese and 1 tablespoon of the fresh diced parsley. Mix together until well combined.
- Stuff 1½ to 2 tablespoons of the mixture into each shell and then arrange them in the skillet with the sauce, seam-side up. Turn the heat back up to medium high, sprinkle on some freshly grated parmesan or mozzarella cheese and cover with a lid. Let cook for a few minutes, or until the shells are heated through and the cheese is melted. Sprinkle on remaining 1 tablespoon of diced parsley and serve immediately. Enjoy!
I’m ready for the rain to stop and the warmer weather to hit, too! This dish looks perfect to call on spring with. Love the zucchini and mushrooms together, Alice! Such a perfect combo!
Yep, this is a perfect dish for any season, any day, any time… I bet you can’t tell how much I love this?! Fabulous flavors and gorgeous presentation, my friend! Wowza!
I can’t wait for the weather to warm up, here in Chicago it has been rainy, too! I rarely make stuffed shells, but these look so delicious and I can’t wait to try them!
Totally craving stuffed shells now….THESE stuffed shells. I love adding more veggies to it. I’m sure I could even get my picky toddler to eat these.
These shells are perfect, Alice!!!!
Oh I love that wooden handle! I can’t tell you how many times I burn my hand on my cast iron skillets! Also – this recipe is just perfection for this weather right now, gimme!
Prettiest stuffed shells Alice! And they sound delish. They’re one of my faves. Can’t wait to try!
I love stuffed shells, these look awesome!
Love the veggies in these, so great!
Hello gorgeous! These shells are perfection! 🙂
This looks delicious! I just finished making it, and I have to say, it made way more “stuffing” than I could use. I had a good cup left over, even after using a way generous amount in each shell. I would adjust and say to use half a package of the mushrooms (4oz), and maybe 2/3 of the whole shredded zucchini (the one I used wasn’t even that large), so maybe 1.5 cups of shredded zucchini. I used a whole 15 oz container of ricotta because I love it. 🙂 It is in the final cooking stages, so I’ll see how it is.
Hi Mela, thank you so much for the feedback! I hope you enjoy it!!! Let me know how it tastes!
It tasted great! But yeah, I personally would cut back on the zucchini and mushroom amounts. I used 14 jumbo shells. Maybe if I had a bigger skillet, and could fit 4 more, it would be enough, but I like more ricotta and a little less of the mushroom and zucchini. I might try with a really good sauce like Rao’s, but the homemade was simple enough to do. Thanks for the great recipe! It’s a great way to get my daughter to eat veggies. 😉
Hi Mela,
thank you for your comment. . I prefer more veggies, as opposed to the ricotta but I will add a note on the recipe card. Thank you!!!
Look very delicious! I like it! I really want make it now! The instructions in your post really useful with me! Thanks for sharing!.
These shells are perfect, Alice!!!!