Spinach, Cheese, and Sausage Stuffed Shells OAMC

I found this in a magazine and decided to try it. So glad I did! I made it for the first time last night and it is really great. I used 9 oz. fresh spinach instead of the frozen spinach, and it worked great. My husband even liked it, and he is not normally a spinach person. I used most of a 26 oz jar for 1/2 a recipe, so you may need more sauce than called for. I'm sure you could use homemade, too. Be flexible! Also, this recipe makes quite a bit. I am cooking for two people, and I froze half the stuffed shells for another time, and there were still plenty of leftovers. Freezing them works great! I flash froze the stuffed shells on a cookie sheet, then dumped them in a ziploc and stashed them in the deep freeze. I let them defrost for a day. Then you just have to add sauce, and cook! Perfect weeknight meal, but good enough to serve to company.

• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins
• Serves: 8
• Yields: 36 shells

Ingredients

• 12  ounces jumbo pasta shells
• 2  tablespoons  oil
• 1  onion, chopped
• 3⁄4 lb ground sausage
• 2  garlic cloves
• 1  egg
• 16  ounces part-skim ricotta cheese
• 4  ounces mozzarella cheese, grated
• 1⁄2 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 (10 ounce) box frozen spinach, chopped, thawed, and drained
• 26  ounces  spaghetti sauce with basil

Directions

1. Cook pasta shells according to directions. Drain, rinse, and let drain again.
2. Saute onion in oil about 5 minutes. Add ground sausage and garlic. Cook until sausage is done. Cool.
3. Beat egg slightly. Add ricotta cheese, mozzerella cheese, parmesan cheese, spinach, and cooled sausage mixture. Mix well.
4. Stuff shells. (This is where I flash-froze half of them).
5. Put 1 c of spagetti sauce in bottom of corningware (or 9x13 pan, or something else). Add shells. Pour the rest of the sauce on top. Sprinkle with more mozzerella or parmesan cheese, if desired.
6. Cook at 350 for 30 minutes, covered. Cook 10 minutes uncovered.