Cheryl J
Chef Extraordinaire
A couple of folks asked me to post this, so here it is. I don't remember the source, so I can't credit it....I think I found it on Pinterest a few years ago and adapted it to my liking.
Stuffed Pasta Shells
1 package jumbo pasta shells (about 36 shells)
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 c. finely chopped onion
3/4 lb. bulk sweet Italian sausage (I used 4 links of Hillshire Farms and de-cased them)
2 cloves garlic
1 large egg
1 container whole or part-skim ricotta cheese (if you don't like ricotta, use cottage cheese....or adapt it to whatever cheese you like)
1 box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
3/4 c. grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 c. shredded mozzarella (I bought pre-shredded for this...worked fine - reserve some for topping)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 jar marinara sauce (I used Bertolli with basil)
350F oven.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add pasta shells and cook according to package instructions. Drain in a colander; rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Drain shells on paper towels.
Heat oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat; add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add sausage, breaking up into smaller bits. Cook, stirring frequently, until sausage is no longer pink. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Remove pan from heat. (I lightly pulsed this mixture in the blender, so there wouldn't be large pieces of sausage).
Beat egg in a large bowl; stir in ricotta, spinach, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, mozzarella, salt, pepper, and the sausage mixture until blended. Fill pasta shells with mixture.
Spread 1 cup of the marinara sauce over the bottom of a 3-quart baking dish. Arrange stuffed shells in dish. Spread remaining marinara over pasta shells. Cover dish with foil; bake for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Remove foil; sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and mozzarella and return to oven for a couple of minutes, or put it under the broiler for a minute or so.
Stuffed Pasta Shells
1 package jumbo pasta shells (about 36 shells)
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 c. finely chopped onion
3/4 lb. bulk sweet Italian sausage (I used 4 links of Hillshire Farms and de-cased them)
2 cloves garlic
1 large egg
1 container whole or part-skim ricotta cheese (if you don't like ricotta, use cottage cheese....or adapt it to whatever cheese you like)
1 box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
3/4 c. grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 c. shredded mozzarella (I bought pre-shredded for this...worked fine - reserve some for topping)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 jar marinara sauce (I used Bertolli with basil)
350F oven.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add pasta shells and cook according to package instructions. Drain in a colander; rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Drain shells on paper towels.
Heat oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat; add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add sausage, breaking up into smaller bits. Cook, stirring frequently, until sausage is no longer pink. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Remove pan from heat. (I lightly pulsed this mixture in the blender, so there wouldn't be large pieces of sausage).
Beat egg in a large bowl; stir in ricotta, spinach, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, mozzarella, salt, pepper, and the sausage mixture until blended. Fill pasta shells with mixture.
Spread 1 cup of the marinara sauce over the bottom of a 3-quart baking dish. Arrange stuffed shells in dish. Spread remaining marinara over pasta shells. Cover dish with foil; bake for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Remove foil; sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and mozzarella and return to oven for a couple of minutes, or put it under the broiler for a minute or so.
Thank goodness for that, because I live alone and love to have reheatable dinners in the freezer.
