If you're looking for a comforting, crowd-pleasing pasta dish that delivers rich flavour with minimal fuss, this Caramelised Sausage and Sage Conchiglioni is about to become your new weeknight hero. Think golden, crispy sausage, creamy mascarpone, fragrant herbs, and giant pasta shells baked into a bubbling tomato sauce. It’s the kind of Italian-inspired dish that feels rustic, indulgent, and a little bit special — without requiring hours in the kitchen.
This conchiglioni bake is perfect for cosy dinners, date nights, or even prepping ahead for an easy entertaining dish. Let’s get into it.
Caramelised Sausage and Sage Conchiglioni
- 4 good quality pork sausages, skins removed
- 25g of salted butter
- 1 small white onion, finely chopped
- 8 leaves of sage, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp of dried rosemary
- Fresh nutmeg
- 3 large tbsp of mascarpone
- 12 Conchiglioni shells
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
- 1 tsp of dried chilli flakes
- 1 tin of finely chopped tomatoes
- 1/2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
- Pinch of granulated sugar
Start by adding a splash of oil to a frying pan and place on a medium heat, add the sausage meat then fry for 5-6 minuets, breaking it down with a wooden spoon into bite size pieces.
Fry until golden and crispy then remove from the pan and leave to one side. Add the butter then the onion and cook down for 10 minutes until soft and translucent. Then add the sausage meat back in along with the herbs and good few gratings of fresh nutmeg. Fry for a further couple of minute until fragrant and pour into a bowl. Place into the fridge for 20 minutes to cool down.
Meanwhile, place a large pan of well salted water on to boil for the pasta.
In a small saucepan add another splash of olive oil and then fry the garlic over a low heat for 3 minutes until sizzling and fragrant. Then add the chilli flakes, chopped tomatoes, vinegar and sugar. Season with salt and pepper then gently simmer for 10 minutes whilst the pasta cooks.
Add the conchiglioni to the boiling water and cook until al-dente.
Drain the pasta once cooked and run under the cold tap to cool down. Remove the sausages mixture from the fridge and then stir in the mascarpone and season with salt and pepper.
Preheat the oven to 190fan.
Pour the tomato sauce into a small round oven tray or dish. Fill each pasta shell with a tablespoon of the sausage mixture before placing into the tomato sauce. Arrange the shells around the perimeter of the tin before adding a couple to the middle to create a swirl pattern. Then place into the oven and bake for 20 minutes until bubbling and golden brown on top.