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Baked Spicy Zucchini and Pesto Cheese Stuffed Shells. For nights when you’re looking for ways to use up your garden zucchini and fresh herbs – and also craving Italian! Jumbo pasta shells stuffed with basil pesto and ricotta cheese, then baked in a spicy vodka sauce with zucchini. This dish is cheesy and so delicious! It’s a great summer pasta that will easily transition into the fall.
I’m home and back in the kitchen today! Always good to be home, but I’m actually excited to be traveling more soon. Now that I am home, we have more fresh herbs than I really know what to do with! I’m inspired to attempt to use everything up.
Obviously, I made these stuffed shells before leaving, but I’m eager to share this dish with you all! I love making and serving stuffed shells, but for some reason, I only make them every so often. When I do make them, I always have fun adapting the dish for the season.
I know we all want to be cooking and eating with zucchini right now, so this feels like the perfect way to do it.
Jumping into the details
Originally when I decided I wanted to make these shells, I wasn’t thinking that I would include a vodka sauce in the recipe. However, as I was cooking the dish I decided, why not do a vodka sauce?”. Yes, easy enough, so I went for it and made these shells extra yummy!
Start off by boiling the shells. When you drain them, be sure to save some of the pasta cooking water to help thin out the sauce.
Now make the sauce. Cook both the spicy Italian sausage and the zucchini together in a big, oven-safe skillet if you have one. I like to use an oven-safe skillet so the shells can go right from the stove to the oven.
When the sausage is browned, the zucchini should have a nice sear to it. This is when you’ll want to stir in the tomato paste. Always cook the tomato paste for a couple of minutes before adding in the water. Cooking the tomato first reactivates the flavors and helps intensify the sauce. I also added fresh thyme and oregano. If you don’t have fresh herbs, dried will be great too!
Pour in the vodka, add some milk, season the sauce up, and let everything simmer.
While the sauce simmers, mix the ricotta with the provolone and pesto, Then stuff the mix right into the pasta shells. Add the shells to the sauce. Then add the mozzarella cheese on top and throw the whole thing into the oven to bake!
As the dish bakes it smells almost as though you’ve got a lasagna baking, so delicious!
And that’s it. Top with fresh basil and serve! It’s a wonderful Italian-inspired meal for these summer days. And it always comes out looking pretty too, so this dish is fun to entertain with!
Looking for August pasta recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Creamy Roasted Tomato Ricotta Pasta with Crispy Prosciutto
One Pot Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Chicken Pasta
Lastly, if you make these Spicy Zucchini and Pesto Cheese Stuffed Shells be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Spicy Zucchini and Pesto Cheese Stuffed Shells
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 698 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 3/4 pound ground spicy Italian chicken sausage
- 3 zucchini, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups chopped)
- 1/3 cup tomato paste
- 1/3 cup vodka
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
- kosher salt and pepper
- 1 pound jumbo shells
- 2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
- 2 cups shredded provolone cheese
- 3/4 cup basil pesto
- 4 ounces mozzarella, torn
- fresh basil for, serving
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425° F. Lightly grease a baking dish or use an oven-safe skillet and skip the dish. 2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat and boil the pasta until al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain. 2. Meanwhile, cook the chicken sausage and zucchini in a large skillet over medium heat until browned all over, about 5 to 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add the tomato paste, thyme, and oregano. Cook 1-2 minutes, then add the vodka. Simmer 1 minute, pour in the milk plus 1/3 cup pasta cooking water. season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly, but is still saucy. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.4. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, provolone, and 1/2 cup pesto. 5. To assemble, spoon 3/4 of the sauce into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Working with one pasta shell at a time, spoon about 1 tablespoon of the cheese mixture into each shell, placing the filled shell into the baking dish as you go. Spoon the remaining sauce over the shells, then drizzle the remaining pesto. Add the mozzarella.6. Bake 15-20 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Serve with fresh basil. Enjoy!
Made this one for my crew last week with a more mild sausage and they all loved it … including my two toddlers! Thanks so much.
Hey there,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks so much for making this dish, I love to hear that it was tasty! xTieghan
This recipe was phenomenal! I’ve cooked dozens of recipes from Tieghan, and this was definitely one of my absolute favorites.
Hi Olivia,
I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Have a great day:)
Made this last night and my family LOVED it! I felt so “Cheffy” ahaha Thanks so much for sharing this:) I have one question though, your instagram video showed water added vs. milk. I used water and it tasted really good. Would milk just make it creamier?
PS never used vodka in cooking- OMG! I have been missing out:))) You are so talented and I am so glad I found your handle.
Hey Lori,
Wonderful! Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Yes, the milk just makes it creamier:) xTieghan
Hi I made this last night and we all loved it! Thank you so much!
Can I freeze the leftovers just for a few days for the weekend?
Hey Stephanie,
Happy Monday! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe out, I am so excited to hear that it was a hit! Sure, you could definitely freeze this! xx
Hi! I see milk listed but I don’t see it used in the recipe here on on insta.. am I missing something??
Thanks!
Hi Megan,
The milk is added in step 3 after the vodka:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
So delicious! Had D’Artagan chorizo on hand so used it in place of chicken sausage. Kept the rest of the recipe the same. Scrumptious!!!
Hi Laurie,
Happy Monday! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe out, I am so excited to hear that it was a hit! xx
This is my favorite HBH recipe to date!! Delicious. Thank you!
Hi Dorothy,
Happy Sunday!! I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xT
Looks amazing!! going to make this tonight for friends and I’m just wondering what would be a great salad to make with it? I feel like it needs to be something light.
Hi Kim,
Here are some ideas:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/melon-basil-burrata-salad/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/super-green-sun-dried-tomato-herb-salad/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/lemon-garlic-roasted-broccoli-salad/
I hope this helps! Let me know how the recipe turns out:) xTieghan
I am hoping to make this for friends this weekend. Do you think it would be okay for me to do everything prior to baking in the morning and put it in the fridge until company arrives and then throw it in the oven then?
Hey Jackie,
Totally, that will work well for you! I hope you all enjoy the recipe, have a great time! xTieghan
Absolutely delicious! Our new favorite!
Hey Dana,
Wonderful! Thanks so much for making this dish, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xT
Made this recipe last night and it was a hit with my husband and kids. Thank you so much for such delicious and easy recipes.
Hey Olga,
Amazing!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for trying it out:)
Any suggestions for substitute for the vodka?
Hey Tracy,
Chicken broth will also work well for you! I hope you love this dish, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
I saved 1 cup of water, but only see to use 1/3 cup in the sauce. Is that correct?
Hi Gail,
Yes, that is correct, if you feel you need to add more to thin your sauce you can do that:) Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Yes, I tried it, and we all loved it. Had so many shells I gave a batch to my daughter and her family (also a fan), and they loved it, too. Thank you!
Love to hear this Gail!! Thanks for making the recipe:)
Another delicious one-pan meal from HBH! (Except for boiling the pasta-ha!) My grocer didn’t have chicken sausage, so I used Italian pork sausage. Using my 12-in cast iron, a 12-oz box of shells was plenty! I’ve never gone to “the trouble” of stuffing shells before, but it was super easy! I think this recipe feeds 6-7 good appetites. There was six of us and only 3-4 shells leftover, although we all went back for seconds because it was so yummy! Thanks for another great dinner!
Hey Joy,
Happy Wednesday! I really appreciate you taking the time to make this recipe, I love to hear that it was a hit! xxT
So delicious and flavorful! I used Beyond Meat sausages to make this vegetarian friendly. We can’t wait to eat the leftovers tomorrow!
Hey Amanda,
Amazing! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! Have a great Monday! xTieghan