Sausage And Spinach Stuffed Shells Recipe
Prep Time:
15 minutes
Cook Time:
1 hour
Servings:
6 Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 12-ounce box jumbo shell pasta
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 pound mild or hot Italian sausage, uncased
  • 32 ounces ricotta cheese
  • 6 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 10-ounce box frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 4 cloves garlic, smashed
  • ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
  1. 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.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a large baking dish with cooking spray.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. Serve immediately, garnished with fresh parsley, if desired.