SAUSAGE-STUFFED SHELLS

Sausage-Stuffed Shells image

"I wanted to make manicotti one day but was out of the noodles," says Lori Daniels of Beverly, West Virginia. "So I came up with this recipe, using jumbo shells instead. They were much easier to work with."

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories Dinner

Time 45m

Yield 2 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 12

Ingredients

1/3 pound bulk Italian sausage
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/3 cup 4% cottage cheese
3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
2 tablespoons beaten egg
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
6 jumbo pasta shells, cooked and drained
Grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Steps:

In a small saucepan, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Set half of the sausage aside for filling. Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, brown sugar and Italian seasoning to sausage in pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally., In a small bowl, combine the cottage cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, egg, parsley and reserved sausage. Stuff into shells. Spread 1/4 cup meat sauce in an ungreased 1-qt. shallow baking dish. Place stuffed shells in dish; drizzle with remaining meat sauce. , Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese if desired. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until filling reaches 160°.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 437 calories, Fat 14g fat (7g saturated fat), Cholesterol 67mg cholesterol, Sodium 1371mg sodium, Carbohydrate 40g carbohydrate (13g sugars, Fiber 4g fiber), Protein 36g protein.