Sausage Stuffed Shells with Spinach
The filling for these easy stuffed shells holds up well. These double as dinner or finger food. The sausage you choose is up to you. Chicken or turkey sausage instead of pork sausage would be great. If you do choose a sausage that is lower in fat, add a little oil to the pan before browning. When making stuffed shells, add a few more dried pasta shells to the water than you will need since some will rip. The filling for this recipe should fill about 16 shells.
The filling for these easy stuffed shells holds up well. These double as dinner or finger food. The sausage you choose is up to you. Chicken or turkey sausage instead of pork sausage would be great. If you do choose a sausage that is lower in fat, add a little oil to the pan before browning. When making stuffed shells, add a few more dried pasta shells to the water than you will need since some will rip. The filling for this recipe should fill about 16 shells.
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- salt and fresh ground black pepper
- 20 jumbo dried pasta shells
- 1 pound fresh pork sausage casings removed (see note)
- 3 medium cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 package frozen spinach thawed and squeezed dry (about 1 1/4 cups)
- 4 ounces ricotta cheese (about 1/2 cup)
- 2 ounces mozzarella cheese coarsely grated (about 1/2 cup)
- warm marinara sauce for serving (optional)
- Carbohydrate 6.373752715948 g
- Cholesterol 72.5747791936 mg
- Fat 26.362468783208 g
- Fiber 2.62580008983612 g
- Protein 19.306695448224 g
- Saturated Fat 9.1733472795736 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (262g)
- Sodium 724.4273138356 mg
- Sugar 3.74795262611188 g
- Trans Fat 2.5382963840176 g
- Calories 338 calories
Step-by-step
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 3-quart baking dish or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, add the pasta shells then follow package directions for cooking the shells. Drain, and then rinse the shells with cold water.
- Meanwhile, heat a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. As the sausage cooks, use a wooden spoon to break the sausage up into small pieces in the pan.
- Stir in the garlic, tomatoes, as well as the thawed and ringed out spinach. Cook until heated through and liquid reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat then stir in the ricotta cheese. Taste for seasoning then adjust with salt and pepper to taste.
- Fill each shell with sausage filling and arrange into the baking dish. Scatter mozzarella cheese on top. Bake until the tips of the shells begin to brown and the cheese has melted, about 25 minutes. Serve with a warm marinara sauce (optional).
Standard baked manicotti relies on smooth tubes of pasta filled with a uniform dairy base, but jumbo shells offer a completely different structural experience by holding chunky, meat-heavy combinations within their curved cavities. Italian-American cooks popularized large pasta shapes in the mid-twentieth century as commercial dried pasta manufacturing expanded across the United States. Baking pasta shells in a casserole dish creates contrasting textures, pairing tender pasta with toasted edges.
Balancing the Richness
Heavy pork sausage and rich cheeses demand bright, acidic accompaniments to cut through the fat. Crisp bitter greens dressed in a sharp lemon vinaigrette provide the necessary palate cleanse between rich bites of baked ricotta and mozzarella. Raw fennel shaved paper-thin and tossed with orange segments offers an alternative contrast to the savory meat filling.
Bread and Grain Pairings
Garlic bread serves as a classic counterpart, but polenta provides a softer base that soaks up excess pan juices without competing with the pasta. Crusty sourdough bread yields better results than soft sandwich loaves because the hard crust stands up to warm marinara sauce. Keep the grain component simple to let the seasoned meat remain the focal point of the meal.
Baking and Assembly Notes
Boil extra pasta shells to account for breakage during cooking, as fragile edges often tear in boiling water. Rinse the cooked shells in cold water immediately to halt the cooking process and prevent them from sticking together before filling. Bake the assembled dish at 350 degrees F until the mozzarella melts and the tips of the pasta turn golden brown.
