Ingredients
Scale
- 1 package (12oz) jumbo pasta shells, uncooked
- 1 pound bulk italian sausage (hot or mild), browned
- 2 lbs (4 cups) ricotta cheese
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded + more for topping
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated + more for topping
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 jar marinara sauce
- optional :: 1 tablespoon olive oil + 3-4 cups fresh spinach
Instructions
- cook pasta for only 10 minutes. drain and lay out to cool slightly.
- meanwhile, in a large skillet set over medium heat, brown italian sausage, breaking it up into small pieces as you go. set aside.
- if using spinach, drizzle olive oil into a large skillet (if you want, you can use the same skillet as the sausage – just remove the sausage before continuing), and add spinach. cook over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes until spinach it wilted. set aside.
- in a medium bowl, combine the italian sausage, spinach (if using), cheeses (ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan), eggs, parsley, basil, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. spread ½-1 cup of marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9″x13″ pan. fill each pasta shell with about 2 tablespoons of the cheese filling and layer them in the pan, making two layers, if needed. spread remaining marinara sauce over the top of the shells and sprinkle with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. cover with foil and bake at 375 for 35 minutes.
- if freezing, cover baking dish and freeze before baking. to bake, place baking dish in fridge the night before you plan on eating to thaw it out and then bake according to the regular directions. if you need to bake from frozen, bake for approx twice the amount of time it calls for in the regular instructions, or until heated through.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Category: dinner / freezer