Sauce, Shells, and Sugar

Sausage Stuffed Shells

 Ingredients:

• 1 (16 ounce) package jumbo pasta shells
• ½ pound Italian Sausage
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach (thawed, drained and squeezed dry)
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• 3 garlic cloves (crushed)
• ½ lemon (juiced)
• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper (to taste)
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 cups spaghetti sauce
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta shells according to package directions (about 10 minutes). In a large deep skillet add sausage and cook over medium high heat until fully cooked. Chop up sausage into small pieces with a spatula. Drain.
2. In a large bowl combine cooked sausage, spinach, ricotta cheese, egg, garlic, lemon juice, and parmesan cheese. Season with salt, pepper, and oregano. Mix well.
3. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×13” baking dish and pour a thin layer to spaghetti sauce onto the bottom of the baking dish. Stuff pasta shells with the sausage mixture and place into the baking dish. Top the shells with spaghetti sauce and mozzarella cheese.
4. Place into the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until the pasta is heated through and the cheese has melted.

As usual, we found this recipe on our favorite recipe blog! Funny though... We already had this recipe in our list of recipes to try from a few years ago... RANDOM!

Cheesy Stuffed Shells

 Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. ricotta or cottage cheese
• 1/2 lb. Mozzarella cheese, grated
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 c. Parmesan, grated
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. Parsley

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Prepare pasta shells: Bring water to boil and then add pasta, boil pasta approximately 15 minutes.
3. Beat eggs. Prepare cheese filling with ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan cheese and egg. Mix in with seasonings
4. Using a large casserole dish, layer sauce, and stuffed pasta. Bake 45 minutes.

 Bread Sticks

Cheesy Bread Sticks

Ingredients: 

• prepared pizza crust 
• butter, melted 
• provolone or mozzarella cheese, shredded 
• parmesan cheese  
• Italian seasoning
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. spread out pizza dough onto a greased cookie sheet and brush with butter.
3. Sprinkle cheeses and spices evenly over the dough.
4. With a pizza cutter, cut dough lengthwise into 12 long strips. Then cut those in half to make 24 strips.
5. Do not separate strips.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown.
7. Re-cut along each strip and remove from cooking sheet.
8. Serve sticks warm with marinara sauce.

Dessert Sticks

Ingredients: 

• prepared pizza crust 
• butter, melted 
• cinnamon
• sugar
• frosting

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. spread out pizza dough onto a greased cookie sheet and brush with butter.
3. Sprinkle spices evenly over the dough.
4. With a pizza cutter, cut dough lengthwise into 12 long strips. Then cut those in half to make 24 strips.
5. Do not separate strips.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown.
7. Re-cut along each strip and remove from cooking sheet.
8. Serve sticks warm with frosting.

Quick Easy Non-Rising Dough

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbs active dry yeast
• 1 c warm water
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 Tbs honey
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 1/2 c all-purpose flour

Directions:

1. Mix the yeast and water in a small bowl. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl mix the oil, honey and salt together. Then add the yeast mixture. Stir well. Slowly add in the flour one cup at a time. 
3. Take dough out of bowl and onto a lightly floured surface knead in the last 1/2 cup of flour. Knead dough for 6 minutes. 
4. Grease a 16 inch round pizza pan. Roll dough out with a rolling pin into a circle shape to fit the pizza pan. Let the dough rise in the pan while you get the other ingredients ready.

We found the dough recipe on this blog, it's part of a really yummy looking pizza recipe! We'll have to try that next time! :)