Ricotta and Sausage Stuffed Pasta Shells

Serves 4

-12 ounces of jumbo pasta shells (1 box)

-2 tablespoons of olive oil

-3/4 pound of sweet Italian sausage, casings removed-about 3 sausages

-1/2 cup of pine nuts, roasted and chopped

-1 clove of garlic, minced (depends on how garlicky your pesto is. If you follow my recipe *found in sauces, do not add garlic)

-1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes

-1 (15 ounce) container of ricotta cheese

-1/2 cup of freshly grated parmesan

-1 cup of fresh spinach, chopped

-1/3 cup pesto

-2 egg yolks

-2 (8 ounce) packages of fresh buffalo mozzarella, sliced and cut into small pieces

Partially cook the pasta shells in a large pot of boiling salted water for about 4-6 minutes. They should be slightly tender but still firm. The shells will continue to cook in the oven so they need to only be cooked slightly. When the pasta is ready, drain (leaving about a tablespoon of pasta water in the pot) and place the shells on a baking sheet. Allow them to cool enough to be handled.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium flame. Add the sausage and pine nuts. Cook until sausage has just browned, stirring as it cooks. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for another minute, about 6 minutes in total. Remember it will continue to cook in the oven. 

In a separate bowl, mix ricotta, parmesan, spinach and pesto. Add in the meat mixture and the pasta water and mix together.

Fill the shells with mixture, about 2 tablespoons per shell. 

Bake on a lower rack of your oven until the filling is heated through and the top is golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. Half way through the baking, pull the pan out and quickly add mozzarella on top of each shell. Stick them back into the oven and continue to bake. This is so the filling is heated thoroughly but the cheese on top does no burn.