Stuffed Spinach and Sausage Shells

1 box Jumbo Shells
1 pound ground turkey sausage
6 oz. baby spinach, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 egg
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 jar of 32 oz. tomato-basil sauce
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

Cook jumbo shells according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/3 cup of the pasta cooking water.
Cook ground turkey sausage until no longer pink. Add spinach, onion, garlic, reserved pasta water and continue cooking for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Add seasonings, blend well and let cool. Stir in egg and cheese. Pour one cup of the tomato sauce in a 13x9" baking dish. Fill shells with mixture and place in dish. Pour remaining sauce over shells and sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Four Cheese and Sausage Manicotti

1 package Manicotti
1 lb. Italian sausage (I use turkey)
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 (14 oz.) cans diced tomatoes
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
1 teaspoon basil leaves
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (15 oz.) container ricotta cheese
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded provolone cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg

Cook pasta according to package directions. In large skillet, over medium heat, brown sausage. Add onion and garlic, cook and stir until onion is tender. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, sugar, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and summer uncovered 15 minutes.

Combine ricotta cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, provolone cheese, Parmesan cheese and egg. Mix well. Stuff pasta.

Spread half of the sauce on bottom of greased 13 x 9" baking dish. Arrange pasta over sauce. Sppon remaining sauce over pasta; cover. Bake 35 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Uncover; top with remaining  cup mozzarella cheese. Bake 5 minutes longer. (Add about 5 minutes to baking time if prepared early and refrigerated.)

Meatballs

I feel like I'm not very authentic when it comes to spaghetti and meatballs. The reason being that I don't really have any desire to make my own tomato sauce. But I love these meatballs and don't mind taking time to make them. In most recipes I've switched over to ground turkey or ground chicken but I can't cheat for this recipe. I did it once and will never do it again. Also, this recipe is based on 1 lb. of ground beef. I typically only use half a pound of ground beef when cooking for my family. So, when I make these, I'll freeze half of the meatballs to use later.

Ingredients
1 lb. ground beef
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 egg
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 slices wheat bread
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp.salt
dash of garlic powder
dash of red wine vinegar
1 tsp. basil

In medium bowl mix beef, parsley, egg, garlic and Parmesan cheese. Take the bread and get it wet under running water. Squeeze to get out the water and break up into bowl. Also add black pepper, salt, garlic powder, red wine vinegar and basil. Mix all ingredients together for a few minutes - the mixture should be firm. Roll into 1" meatballs.

Using a non-stick frying pan (there should be no need to add cooking spray if using a non-stick pan), brown the meatballs on medium high heat. Meatballs should be seared to a dark brown. After the meatballs are browned, turn heat down to medium and finish cooking or add them to tomato sauce to finish cooking.