Ingredients
12ozpasta shells,(1 jumbo package)
1tbspolive oil
1cupyellow onion,finely chopped
1lbsweet Italian sausage,casings removed
1tbspgarlic,minced
1large egg
16ozricotta cheese
10ozspinach,frozen, thawed, squeezed dry, chopped further, or 10 oz chopped fresh spinach
1cupparmesan cheese,grated
1tbspfresh basil,chopped, or 1 tsp dried basil
¼cupbread crumbs,unseasoned
½tspsalt
½tspground black pepper
28oztomatoes with herbs,(1 can) liquid included, tomatoes broken up, or favorite tomato or pasta sauce
Preparation
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (1 teaspoon salt per quart of water).
Cook the pasta shells according to the instructions on the package.
Drain, rinse in cold water and set aside.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat.
Add the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add the sausage to the pan, breaking up the sausage into smaller bits. Lower the heat to medium.
Cook sausage for about 5 minutes until cooked through, and no pink remains.
Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute more until fragrant.
Remove pan from heat.
Beat the egg lightly in a large bowl.
Mix in the ricotta, chopped spinach, ½ cup of the parmesan cheese, basil, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and sausage mixture.
Fill each cooked pasta shell with some of the ricotta, spinach, sausage mixture.
Spread ½ cup of the chopped canned tomatoes over the bottom of each of the baking dishes.
Arrange the stuffed pasta shells in the dishes. Spread the remaining tomatoes over the top of the pasta shells.
Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Cover the pans with foil and bake for 30 minutes, until hot and bubbling.
Remove the foil and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan cheese, then bake uncovered for 10 more minutes.
