Sausage and Spinach Stuffed Shells

I love making stuffed shells.  They are easy to make, you can make a ton for leftovers and there is so much variety that you can include to make them different every time.

They are great for entertaining and busy days because they can be assembled ahead of time and baked when you are ready to eat.  Last time I made these, I made a tray for us and our guests, and then had an additional tray for the freezer to have later on for a quick dinner.

I recently shared the recipe for Mexican stuffed shells, and this time I wanted to include a more traditional recipe for stuffed shells-this one has  the classic combination of spinach and sausage.

Sausage and Spinach Stuffed Shells

1 12-ounce package jumbo pasta shells
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 pound spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
1 egg
15 ounces ricotta cheese
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated
5 ounces fresh spinach leaves or 10 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and well drained
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups marinara sauce

 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta shells according to the instructions on the package. Drain, rinse in cold water, and set aside. Set aside desired sizes and amounts of baking dishes (I used one 8x8 and one 9x13 inch baking dish)

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the onions and cook until softened and opaque, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage to the pan, breaking up the sausage into smaller bits. Cook sausage until cooked through, and no pink remains, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to a minute more. Remove pan from heat.

In a large bowl, combine the egg, ricotta, half of the mozzarella, spinach, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, basil, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and sausage mixture. Fill each cooked pasta shell with some of the cheese and sausage mixture.

Spoon 1 cup marinara sauce over the bottom of each of the baking dish. Place stuffed shells on top of sauce. Spread the remaining sauce over the top of the pasta shells.

At this point you can make ahead, to freeze or refrigerate before cooking. 

Heat oven to 375°F. Cover the pans with foil and bake for 30 minutes, until hot and bubbling. Remove foil and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, bake uncovered for 10 more minutes.


Adapted from Annie's Eats, originally from Simply Recipes