While spring is on the horizon, many of us are still experiencing the tail-end of some dreary winter weather. If you're running low on dinner ideas and want something that will nourish your tummy and soul, then you might want to try these sausage and kale stuffed shells from Martha Stewart.
This dish has got all the good stuff you'd expect in a pasta casserole dish, plus the added benefit of being freezer friendly. You can double up while prepping and get two dinners for the effort of one!
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First you'll cook your jumbo pasta shells in salted water (no oil!) for about five minutes. Then you'll take some E.V.O.O and add it to a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. You'll then add in your spicy Italian sausage that's been removed from the casing and break it up with a spoon while making sure it cooks evenly. This takes about five minutes.
Transfer the sausage to a plate and add your chopped kale leaves to the pan, along with two tablespoons of water. You should only cook for around two minutes, until the kale is wilted. Season to taste, and combine the kale and sausage. Once it has cooled completely, you can roughly chop
Now it's stuffing time!
Combine your ricotta, Parmesan, mozzarella and sausage mixture, and season to taste. Take about two tablespoons of the mixture to fill each shell. Then, you'll prepare the final construction for the baking. Take a 9 by 13-inch baking dish, and spread your marinara sauce of choice on the bottom. Top with your stuffed shells, and add another layer of sauce over top of them. Sprinkle your remaining cheese and cover with parchment lined foil.
Here's where the choose your own adventure part of the dish comes in:
If you want to freeze: put it in the freezer for one hour, then remove, wrap the entire dish in plastic wrap, and store in your freezer for up to three months.
If you want to bake: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and remove the plastic from your dish. Bake it covered, until it is heated through and the cheese is bubbling around the edges (an hour). Then remove your cover and allow the top of the dish to reach toasty golden brownness (20 mins). Let stand 15 minutes before serving. You'll be left with a dinner that is hearty, satisfying, and technically has vegetables! Find the full recipe here.
More super simple weeknight meals:
- The viral feta pasta dish everyone's raving about is even better without pasta
- A chocolate sandwich tastes exactly as comforting as it sounds — and it's sublime
- This riff on a classic Southern pie is comfort in a bite — and the leftovers taste great for breakfast
- French-inspired lentils are the easiest cure for your winter blues — and they're impossible to mess up
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