Sausage, Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells

This is one of my favorite Italian dishes.  From my first few posts you probably wouldn't guess that Italian food is my calling...well that's because the main man that I cook for (my dad) watches his weight like a 16 year old girl.  So I decided to venture on down and cook for another man who can enjoy a nice hearty meal (my grandfather).  The meal is a bit time consuming, takes a little over an hour in total, but definitely worth the time.  These shells are also great as leftovers and easy to freeze, so nothing goes to waste. 

Sausage, Spinach, and Ricotta Stuffed Shells
Yields 4 servings...with some leftovers =]

Ingredients:
3/4 (12 oz) box jumbo pasta shells - 24 shells (preferably Barilla)
1 Tbs Olive Oil
1 cup or 1/2 yellow onion finely chopped
1 pound Italian sausage casings removed (I use half mild and half spicy sausage, but you can use any type, even turkey sausage for a healthier alternative)
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 large egg
16 oz ricotta cheese
10 oz chopped frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed dry and chopped further
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbs chopped fresh basil
1/2 tsp both Salt and Pepper
1 jar of your favorite tomato sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the shells until al dente, about 9 minutes, they will finish cooking in the oven.  Drain, rinse in cold water and set aside. 

Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat.  Add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened.  Add the sausage to the pan, breaking it up into smaller pieces and cook until they are no longer pink, about 5 more minutes.  Add garlic and cook for about another 30 seconds until fragrant.  Remove pan from heat. 

Spread about 3/4 cup of the tomato sauce over the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish (this will prevent the shells from sticking to the bottom of the dish). 

Beat the egg in a large bowl and add ricotta, basil, spinach, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper and the sausage mixture.  Fill each cooked shell with some of the mixture and place them in the baking dish.  Spread the remaining tomato sauce over the top of the pasta shells.

At this point you may freeze the shells for up to four months or refrigerate for about a week. 

Cover the baking dish with foil and cook for 30 minutes.  Remove the foil and sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese over the top of the shells.  Continue baking uncovered for 10 more minutes or until the cheese is completely melted.