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Spinach and Sausage Manicotti

Source of Recipe


Adapted from Sunset magazine



List of Ingredients



• 10 ounces mild or hot pork or turkey Italian sausages
  
• 16 dried manicotti pasta shells (3½ to 4 inches long)
  
• 1 package (9 to 10 ounces) thawed frozen chopped spinach, squeezed dry
  
• 1¾ cups (15 ounces) ricotta cheese
  
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
  
• Salt
  
• 4 large eggs
  
• 1 quart tomato sauce
  
• Pepper
  






Instructions



1. Discard sausage casings. In a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over medium-high heat, stir and crumble sausage until lightly browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Discard any fat. Let cool 10 minutes.
   
   
2. Meanwhile, in a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, bring 3 quarts water to a boil. Add manicotti and cook until barely tender to bite (test one at edge), 5 to 8 minutes. Drain and immerse in cold water until cool, about 2 minutes, then drain.
   
   
3. To sausage, add spinach, ricotta, Parmesan and nutmeg; mix, and add salt to taste. In a small bowl, beat eggs to blend. Stir into sausage mixture.
   
   
4. Spoon 1 cup tomato sauce evenly into each of two foil pans (9- x 13-inch). With a spoon, fill manicotti shells equally with spinach mixture (about ¼ cup in each). Arrange in a single layer in sauce, and spoon remaining sauce evenly over manicotti.
   
   
5. Drizzle ½ cup water over pasta in each pan. Seal pans with foil, and freeze.
   
   Makes: 2 main dishes
   (4 servings each)
   
   
   TO SERVE:
   Thaw one pan overnight in refrigerator. Bake, covered, in a 375-degree oven until steaming in center (cut to test), 50 to 55 minutes. OR, bake directly from the freezer, allowing about 1¼ hours. If desired, sprinkle hot manicotti with shredded Parmesan cheese and bake 5 minutes more.