I love – lurve – coming up with interesting ways to change up my favorite recipes. Adding a little beer to the chilli, baking asparagus instead steaming it, or adding some breadcrumbs to your favorite burgers. Today’s recipe is another quick and simple update for a classic recipe that takes the taste up a notch without adding any time or stress.

Fire Roasted Stuffed Shells

Ingredients:

• 20 jumbo shells
• 3/4 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 8 oz fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 8 oz of your favorite tomato sauce
• 1 lb. sausage or ground beef

Recipe:

1. Boil a large pot of water and add your pasta. Cook according to the package directions. Drain the noodles and set aside.
2. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spread 1/3 cup of your tomato sauce and 1/3 cup of fire roasted tomatoes in the bottom of a 9×9 dish.
3. Add the uncooked sausage to a hot pan. Cook until browned. Stir in 2/3 of tomato sauce and fire roasted tomatoes and set aside.
4. In a small bowl stir together the ricotta, 1/2 a cup of mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, and spinach. Spread one tablespoon of the cheese mixture into each shell. Top with a heaping amount of the sausage. Place in your dish and continue with the remaining shells. Smoother in the remaining 1/3 cup of sauce and sprinkle with left over mozzarella.
5. Bake, covered, for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and cook an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.