Stuffed Shells with a Spinach/Sausage Mixture (Easy)

A most delicious meal! Love, love, love it! Most all stuffed shells recipes that I have come across call for pork sausage and as you know that is fattening. Have you ever really found a pork sausage that is not loaded with fat? Let me know if you do. I chose to use lean, sweet, Italian turkey sausage with the casings removed.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 16-18 jumbo pasta shells
• 1 lb lean, sweet, Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, & oregano
• 1-9oz frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry with paper towels for the excess water
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded Kraft Italian blend cheese (4oz)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

1. 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 al dente according to package directions. Drain well then add to ice water until ready to stuff.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add turkey sausage with casings removed: then use a wooden spoon to break up the sausage, cook 5-6 minutes until browned. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds more being careful not to burn the garlic.
3. Pour in the can of diced tomatoes, juice and all.
4. Defrost your spinach in the microwave if you forgot to take it out ahead of time to defrost. Squeeze out the excess water, we do not want the extra water in here. NOTE: It helps once you have squeezed out as much water by hand to then place the spinach in some paper towels and continue to squeeze out the excess. Add the squeezed out spinach to the pan and stir.
5. Now, remove the pan from the heat and add the ricotta cheese. This will make the filling creamy. Taste for seasoning; then use a spoon to fill each pasta shell.
6. Sprinkle a little cheese on top then bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes covered, we don't want the shells to dry out.

NOTE: You can make your own pasta sauce or use store-bought to make it easier on yourself and bake these shells on a layer of sauce and also drizzle some of that same sauce over the stuffed shells before sprinkling the shredded cheese on top and then proceed to bake. 

All that you need to make this dish.

I used 5 links which are the size of brats, casings removed.

Once the sausage is completely cooked, add the garlic, tomatoes, and spinach.

Pasta shells cooling in ice water.

Pan removed from the heat and ricotta cheese added. Salt and pepper according to taste.

Spray your 9x13 dish with cooking spray and then place your shells stuffed with the meat/cheese mixture inside.

Sprinkle shredded cheese on top of each shell and then cover with foil and bake.

Done baking.

My dinner plate that night.