Saturday, March 7, 2009

Italian Sausage Stuffed Shells--Sara Style

I made these incredible stuffed shells for my Dad's poker night. All the guys raved, and so did my Husband...I even snuck one, and Taylor didn't seem to mind the tomatoes, onions, and dairy...I kind of did "a little here, a little there", sort of thing, but here's the basic idea...

2 LB sweet italian sausage, casings discarded
1 red bell pepper chopped
1 green bell pepper chopped
1 bag 10 oz baby spinach
1 onion chopped
4 cloves minced garlic
32 oz. ricotta cheese
12 oz. mozzerella cheese
1 C parmesan cheese
2 eggs
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp dried parsley
2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1 box (12 oz.) large pasta shells
2 (16 oz) jars spaghetti sauce
Directions
In a large skillet, saute italian sausage, garlic, and onion until sausage is close to done.
Add bell peppers, cook until peppers are slightly crispy and sausage is cooked, brown and crumbly.
Add spinach until wilted.
Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, mix cheeses, and seasonings. Taste and adjust as necessary.
When flavor is good, add the eggs, and stir until well combined.
Add cheese mixture to cooled meat mixture.
Cook pasta shells as directed, until al dente, or still fairly hard on the bottoms.
Drain and run under cold water to stop cooking process.
Stuff meat and cheese mixture into shells.
Spread some sauce on the bottom of a baking dish.
Place stuffed shells in baking dish.
Top with the rest of the sauce, and a little parmesan cheese.
Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes until bubbly.

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