Stuffed Shells - with Sausage!

This is what you make when your Mother-in law is coming for dinner! Most people assume that it's hard to do, or expensive...but it's neither.

Stuffed Shells - with Sausage!

What you'll need:

Large pasta shells - 1 box

Spaghetti sauce - 2 jars or cans

Ricotta cheese - about 12 oz.

Shredded mozzarella cheese - about 16 oz.

Cream cheese - 8 oz.

Ground sausage - about 1 lb.

Onion - 1/2 cup chopped

Garlic - fresh, 2 cloves

1 Egg

Lemon juice - 2 tbsp.

Rosemary - fresh, 1 tbsp.

Preheat the oven to 400.

Boil water to cook the shells. Cook the sausage in a skillet and when it is almost done cooking add the onions and garlic. I used "sage" sausage that I found in a roll near the breakfast sausage but I imagine that most ground sausages would be good (maybe Italian). While the sausage is cooking get the shells into the boiling water and don't forget to set a timer. I always cook my pasta with a timer set so I don't forget about it or overcook it. It's really just one less thing to worry about and these shells will not work well if they're overcooked.

In a big mixing bowl you will want to combine the ricotta cheese, HALF of the shredded cheese, cream cheese, chopped rosemary, and the lemon juice. Cream it together very well. This is usually easiest with an electric hand mixer or the back of a large slotted spoon. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and any other seasoning that you think might work well. Once you're satisfied cream the egg into the blend.

Strain the shells when the timer goes off and leave them in the strainer. You may want to stir them with a tiny bit of olive of vegetable oil to keep them from sticking together. Add the cooked sausage mix to the bowl of cheeses and mix well.

Spread a layer of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of your baking pans. Keep in mind that you can make this recipe larger or smaller very easily as the proportions of ingredients are more of a preference and don't have to be exact. Make just one small man for you and your hubby, or make 2 large pans for the whole family...and your in-laws.

Begin stuffing the shells as pictured and put them open side up in the baking pan. When the pan is full you'll need to top it with more sauce and shredded cheese. Bake about 30-40 minutes until the top is nicely browned.

Now go serve dinner and impress someone!