Sausage, Mushroom & Radicchio Stuffed Shells

I never order stuffed shells in restaurants.  There's too much cheese... and I love cheese.  Is it really necessary to fill the shell with cheese and top it with even more cheese?  Plus, then they come around with that cheese grater and ask you if you want another layer of cheese.  The worst part is that if you don't eat the dish fast enough the cheese on top starts to coagulate and become a solid mass that you can lift off your plate in one big chunk...  I'm making myself nauseous. 

These shells are not like that - they're stuffed with a much greater variety of things than four kinds of cheese.  Yes, they have four kinds of cheese in them.  I love cheese.  But they will not make you nauseous or leave your running for the prune juice.  TMI?

Let's start with the leeks.  Leeks are delicious, it's like a really mild onion, but cleaning them is kind of a bear.  You start by hacking off the top half.  The dark green parts are really tough and don't taste great so just throw them away.  You could probably use them to make stock but I typically just chuck them.  I then like to cut them in half and wash them.  A ton of dirt gets in between the layers of the leek so you have to wash them really well or you'll get a crunchy surprise.  Alternatively you can slice them into circles, stick them in a bowl of water and swirl them around for a minute or so.  The dirt will sink and the leek will rise to the top.  Once halved, these leeks get sliced into half-moons.

Along with the leeks, these shells are stuffed with Italian sausage (I used turkey sausage to stay a bit more on the healthy side - with all the other stuff in here you'll never notice the difference), mushrooms and radicchio.  The sausage and mushrooms lend a heartiness to the dish.  The radicchio puts a bit of a bitter edge on the stuffing which I think breaks up the heaviness. 

Once the sausage and veggies are all cooked down, some ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, mozzarella and parmesan are added in to add a creamy element and all that gets stuffed inside of a cooked pasta shell.  You can certainly use all ricotta or cottage cheese instead of both - but I happened to have just a little bit of each on hand.

Top it all off with some marinara sauce (I went the jarred route this time) and a bit more cheese - pop it in the oven and you're good to go.

I was really impressed with how this recipe came out.   I love how the bitter radicchio pairs with the hearty sausage and mushrooms and creamy cheese.  It nods at the traditional stuffed shells but the flavors are far more complex.  My favorite part is that it is super filling without being so heavy that you've got to put your stretchy pants on. 

Sausage, Mushroom & Radicchio Stuffed Shells
4 servings

Ingredients
3/4 lb Italian Sausage (turkey or pork both work great)
2 Leeks, halved and thinly sliced
4 oz. Mushrooms, chopped
1 small head Raddichio (8 oz.), chopped
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
1 T Sugar
1 Egg
1/4 cup Ricotta Cheese (or use 1/2 cup and omit cottage cheese)
1/4 cup Cottage Cheese (or use 1/2 cup and omit ricotta cheese)
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded and divided
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded and divided
25 Large Pasta Shells
1 cup Marinara Sauce

Instructions
In a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, brown the sausage until no pink remains.  Add the leaks, mushrooms and radicchio, season with salt and pepper and cook until soft, about 10 minutes.  Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar, egg, ricotta, cottage cheese, half the mozzarella and half the Parmesan cheese.

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta one minute less than the package indicates.  Drain and cool under running water. Pat the shells dry. 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Stuff each shell with approximately 1 T of filling and arrange in the prepared baking dish.  Top with sauce and the remaining cheese.

Bake for 45 minutes until bubbly and the cheese is lightly browned.

Enjoy!
Julie