#5 Stuffed Shells with Sausage and Spinach

One of my favorite websites is Pinterest--to put it simply:  I'm addicted to it.  That is where I found this recipe. If you haven't explored Pinterest yet, you don't know what you are missing! There are so many wonderful and interesting things, including hundreds and hundreds of recipes for everything imaginable. 

Most of the recipes that I have pinned are desserts or snacks, so far, but this one caught my attention one day when I was looking for something for dinner.  It is really a simple, simple recipe to put together, and so worth it. It was so yummy that I had it for dinner on Sunday, and then lunch and dinner on both Monday and Tuesday!  Sounds silly, I know, but I loved it, and it was such an easy left-over to heat up again.  And you know what, I just might make it again this weekend for my grandkids because I think they will like it too!  Give it a try and let me know if you like it as much as I do!

The ingredients:  16-18 jumbo pasta shells; 1 pound fresh pork sausage links, casing removed; 1 tbs minced garlic; 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes; 1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and squeeze dry; 1/2 cup ricotta cheese; 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese; salt & pepper.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and fill a large bowl with cold water and ice, set aside.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add pasta shells and cook according to package directions.  Drain well then add to ice water until ready to stuff.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add pork sausage then use a wooden spoon to break up the sausage, cook 5-6 minutes until browned.  Add garlic and cook 30 seconds, then add tomatoes and spinach; cook 1 minute.  Remove pan from heat and stir in ricotta cheese.

Using a spoon, fill pasta shells with pork filling and arrange in a baking dish (9"x9" works well.) Sprinkle tops with shredded cheese then bake in the oven, 25-30 minutes until cheese has melted and tips of shells begin to crisp and brown.  YUMMY!