Sausage Stuffed Shells with Spinach

 
Ingredients
 
16-18 jumbo pasta shells
1 pound fresh pork sausage links, casing removed
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and squeeze dry
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
salt and freshly ground pepper
 
 
Method
 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and fill a large bowl with cold water and ice, set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta shells and cook according to package directions. Drain well then add to ice water until ready to stuff.
 
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork sausage then use a wooden spoon to break up the sausage, cook 5-6 minutes until browned.
 
Add garlic and cook 30 seconds then add tomatoes and spinach (make sure the thawed frozen spinach has been squeezed dry); cook 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and stir in ricotta cheese.
 
Using a spoon, fill pasta shells with pork filling and arrange in a baking dish (9-inch x 9-inch baking dish works well). Sprinkle tops with shredded cheese then bake in the oven 25-30 minutes until cheese has melted and tips of shells begin to crisp and brown.

3 comments:

  1. Just thought I'd share a tip with you. When I make stuffed shells I get white navy beans and puree them and mix them with the ricotta. The texture is exactly the same, and you can't taste the difference. It increases the nutritional value. :)

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