Spinach Sausage Ricotta Stuffed Shells

Happy Friday and happy summer!! Several people have asked me why I haven’t posted lately… honestly, LIFE! Life has been movin’ and groovin’ and I’m just lucky to be holding on for the ride!

We recently moved apartments, I changed jobs, trying to take more classes so I can finish my masters {sooner rather than later}, and being a wife and {dog} mom can all be overwhelming at times. So, the blog has unintentionally taken a backseat:/

I so enjoy sharing recipes, adventures and featuring talent and small businesses, so I am going to try my best to keep it going!  And what better way to jump back into things than with an Italian comfort dish?! Every now and then I crave a good, cheesy pasta dish… I’m human! I made these stuff shells last night and they are mouth watering delicious!!  The full recipe was a lot, so I halved it and made some {skinny} changes so the overall guilt wouldn’t be as bad! 

Top with Parsley (which I forgot to do in the pics– whoops!) Serve and enjoy! 

Norma Powell, MS, RD, CDN

Spinach Sausage Ricotta Stuffed Shells

Print Recipe

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 1/2 package of jumbo pasta shells ~8 oz
• 15 oz fat-free ricotta cheese
• 6 oz part-skim mozzarella cheese shredded
• 1 egg lightly beaten
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ½ cup parmesan grated or shredded
• ¾ jar of spaghetti sauce
• 3 cups packed fresh spinach roughly chopped
• ¾ lbs italian sausage can sub chicken sausage
• parsley for garnish

OPTIONAL

• diced veggies of your choice! *see notes*

Method

 

1. In a skillet over medium heat, brown and crumble the sausage, breaking it into pieces as it cooks. Drain any excess fat and remove from heat.
2. In the same saucepan, cook spinach until wilted or about 1-2 minutes.
3. Cook the shells according to package directions (try not to over cook the shells because they will get cooked more in the oven).
4. In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, 4oz of mozzarella, 1/4 cup of Parmesan, egg, oregano, and garlic powder. Stir in the spinach and about 3/4 of the cooked sausage. *this is where you would add in any additional diced veggies*
5. Coat the bottom of a 9x13in pan with all of the spaghetti sauce. Spoon the cheese & sausage mixture into the shells and place shells open side up, very close together in the dish. 
6. Sprinkle the remaining sausage over the top of the shells. Then sprinkle with the rest of the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
7. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 °F for 25-35 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly. Then remove foil and broil it on high for 3-5 minutes until cheese starts to get golden brown (watch closely because it can burn quickly).
8. Allow to cool for a few minutes. Top with parsley and serve warm.