Pasta is a perfect place to start when making weeknight dinners. You can add in some sauce, protein, and cheese for a delightful hearty meal. These Sausage & Spinach Stuffed Shells are an excellent way to get spinach into your families diet. This dish is also so beautiful when you prep it in concentric circles in the large round pan.
As I mentioned, this is a very pretty presentation, making it perfect for a Sunday Supper or a night that you have a dinner guest. That said, you can make this dish ahead of time all the way up to the baking step. Then cover and refrigerate to sit until ready to bake.
Substitutes and Variations:
If you like, you can use different ground meat in place of the Italian sausage. If you use a ground chicken or turkey version of Italian sausage, then just swap out. If you want to use ground beef, you will need to add some Italian seasoning, onion, garlic, paprika, salt, and pepper to the meat while it cooks.
Suggestions for Sides:
Of course, garlic bread is the ideal side for this dish. Perfect for sopping up the extra red sauce. You could also serve a nice Caesar salad on the side.
Tools that may make this recipe easier:
As noted in the recipe, you can use two 13×9 baking dishes to prepare this recipe. But ideally, you would use an extra large 14inch Everyday Pan. I use mine for so many meals.
Now Let’s Get Cookin’!
Sausage & Spinach Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
- 2 lb Ground Italian Sausage
- 32 oz Ricotta Cheese
- 1½ cup Grated parmesan
- 2 Eggs beaten
- 2 cup Fresh Baby Spinach chopped
- 1 cup Fresh Parsley chopped
- 2 lb Jumbo Shells
- 1 cup Mozzarella cheese shredded
For the Red Sauce
- 2 28oz cans Crushed Tomatoes
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp Dried Minced Onion
- 1 tbsp Dried Minced Garlic
- 1 tsp Crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup Beef Broth Or water
Instructions
- In a saute pan over medium-high heat, cook and crumble sausage until no longer pink. Remove from heat.
- In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta, beaten eggs, one cup parmesan cheese, spinach and ¾ cup parsley. Add about ⅔ of cooked sausage and fold in.
- Add ingredients for red sauce and remaining sausage (with any grease) to extra large oven safe saute pan (needs to have a lid). Stir to combine. NOTE – you can also use 2 13×9 baking dishes and cover with foil.
- Preheat oven to 350degF.
- Start filling uncooked shells with ricotta mixture. Use a metal table spoon to push mix into tightly rolled shells. Line with out in concentric circles in the pan.
- Cover pan with lid and place in oven for 45 minutes to bake.
- Remove pan from oven and remove lid from pan. Sprinkle with mozzarella, remaining parmesan and remaining parsley. Return to oven to bake for 10 minutes more.
- Remove from oven and let rest at least 5 minutes before spooning out to serve.
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Estelle Forrest self-published this cookbook after a lot of playing around in the kitchen. You can purchase your own copy here:
AVAILABLE IN PRINT OR KINDLE eBOOK VERSIONS
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