We had a some guest critics over for dinner tonight to try out a new easy and delicious (hopefully!) dish. This one is great for guests because you can make it ahead of time and bake it at the last minute, so you can enjoy your company and still have a hot dish when you're ready to eat. We made it with Italian Turkey Sausage, but pork sausage would also work.
Special Equipment: none
Time Management:
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes + 35 minutes bake time
Ingredients:
12 oz package of jumbo pasta shells
20 oz fresh pork sausage links, casing removed
2 large cloves minced garlic
1 (14-ounce) can petit diced tomatoes
1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and squeeze dry
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
* if you choose to use Italian Turkey Sausage, you'll need to add 1 tsp olive oil to pan when browning meat
Directions:
Heat water to boiling and cook pasta according to package instructions. After draining pasta, place in ice bath until ready to stuff.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat sausage in a large skillet until brown, using spoon to break into pieces.
Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
Add tomatoes, spinach (make sure to squeeze dry), cook 1 minute.
Remove from heat and stir in ricotta cheese.
Using a spoon, fill each shell with filling and arrange on baking dish (I used a 9 x 13 pan)
Sprinkle top with mozzarella and bake 30 minutes or until cheese has melted and shells begin to crisp and brown.
I served with garlic bread and roasted veggies.
