Spinach Sausage Stuffed Pasta Shells Recipes

SAUSAGE AND SPINACH STUFFED SHELLS RECIPE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the jumbo shell pasta. Cook until the pasta is just pliable enough for filling, but no more. Rinse under cool water and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a large baking dish with cooking spray.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and continue cooking for another minute, until fragrant. Add the Italian sausage and cook until browned. Remove any excess fat and set the mixture aside to cool, about 10 minutes.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, shredded mozzarella, ½ cup Parmesan cheese, eggs, Italian seasoning, basil, and measured salt and pepper. Stir in the spinach. Add the cooled Italian sausage mixture and set aside.
• Add the cream and smashed garlic to a small saucepan and heat over medium-low until simmering, stirring occasionally. Once simmering, add the nutmeg and a pinch of salt and pepper. Reduce to low heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Whisk in the remaining ½ cup of Parmesan cheese and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Spoon the ricotta mixture into the par-cooked shells, and arrange face-up in the baking dish. If there's any filling leftover, spoon it between the shells.
• Remove the large garlic pieces from the garlic-cream sauce and pour the sauce over the stuffed shells. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes until the sauce is bubbly.
• Serve immediately, garnished with fresh parsley, if desired.

SAUSAGE, SPINACH, RICOTTA STUFFED PASTA SHELLS

Steps:

• Cook pasta shells: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (1 teaspoon salt per quart of water). Cook the pasta shells according to the instructions on the package. Drain, rinse in cold water, and set aside.
• Cook onions, then sausage, then add garlic: Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage to the pan, breaking up the sausage into smaller bits. Lower the heat to medium. 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.
• Make ricotta spinach stuffing: Beat the egg lightly in a large bowl. Mix in the ricotta, chopped spinach, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, basil, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and sausage mixture.
• Fill pasta shells with stuffing: Fill each cooked pasta shell with some of the ricotta, spinach, sausage mixture.
• Arrange stuffed shells on chopped canned tomatoes in baking dish: Spread 1/2 cup chopped canned tomatoes over the bottom of each of the baking dishes. Arrange the stuffed pasta shells in the dishes. Spread the remaining tomatoes over the top of the pasta shells. At this point you can make ahead, to freeze (up to four months) or refrigerate before cooking. (If freezing, cover with foil, then wrap with plastic wrap.)
• Bake: 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 Parmesan cheese, bake uncovered for 10 more minutes. Recipe adapted from recipe on box of Barilla jumbo pasta shells, and a recipe appearing in the Sacramento Bee.

SPINACH AND CHEESE STUFFED PASTA SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, gently place pasta shells in boiling water; bring water back to boil. Cook until noodles are just tender; drain well.
• Squeeze spinach dry. Combine spinach, ricotta, 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, fennel, basil and garlic in a large mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper; mix well.
• Spread 1/2 cup marinara sauce evenly over the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
• Fill each pasta shell with the spinach cheese mixture. Arrange the shells, filling side up in the baking dish. Spoon remaining marinara sauce over the shells. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese on top of the shells.
• Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven until heated through; about 30 minutes.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil a 9x13 baking dish.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook shells in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite, about 10 to 12 minutes. Drain. Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet; place drained pasta on baking sheet to cool.
• Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a heavy skillet. Cook and crumble sausage until it has lost its pink color and begins to brown. Remove from heat; drain off grease.
• Stir half of the shredded cheese and the Italian seasoning into the browned sausage. Spoon mixture into the pasta shells (1 to 2 tablespoons per shell). Arrange stuffed shells in prepared baking dish. Pour marinara sauce evenly over the shells. Top with remaining shredded cheese. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
• Bake in preheated oven until heated through and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Remove foil; bake until browned, 5 to 10 more minutes. Sprinkle with a pinch of Italian seasoning, if desired.

SPINACH & SAUSAGE STUFFED PASTA SHELLS

Steps:

• Cook pasta shells according to package directions.
• Drain and rinse with cold water and drain again.
• Combine remaining ingredients, except spaghetti sauce, in a large bowl and mix well.
• Fill each pasta shell with 3 tablespoons of filling.
• Place in a baking dish and top with spaghetti sauce.
• Bake at 350 degrees until heated through, about 30 minutes.
• To freeze: Freeze before baking.
• You may freeze individually wrapped shells without sauce, or freeze sauce-topped shells in baking dish.

SAUSAGE-SPINACH STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Make the stuffed shells: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta shells and cook until just slightly softened but still firm, about 7 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drizzle with olive oil and toss; set aside.
• Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste and stir until heated through, about 2 more minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.
• Combine the spinach mixture, ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, the parmesan, parsley and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Stuff each shell with about 2 tablespoons of the filling; set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Make the cheese sauce: Melt the butter with the garlic in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When the butter begins to foam, add the flour and whisk constantly until lightly golden, about 1 minute. Add the milk and cream, bring to a simmer and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and nutmeg to taste.
• Brush a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with olive oil and pour in about two-thirds of the cheese sauce. Add the stuffed shells and top with the remaining cheese sauce. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 20 minutes. Uncover and top with the marinara sauce and the remaining 1 cup mozzarella; continue baking until the sauce is bubbly, 15 to 20 more minutes.