Spiced sausage tomato sauce with mini shells, dolloped with a garlicky ricotta, finished with shredded cheese. An easier version of stuffed shells for when you crave those classic flavors but don’t have the time!

INGREDIENTS – serves 4

1/2-16oz pkg shell pasta

1/2lb sausage
1 can tomato sauce
1c water
1/4t basil
1/4t thyme
1/8t red pepper flakes

1/2c ricotta
1/2t garlic powder
1/4t oregano

4 oz fontina or mozzarella, shredded
1/2c parmesan, grated

INSTRUCTIONS

Cook pasta in a pot of boiling salted water for 1 minutes less than the package instructions.

Meanwhile, bring a large skillet to medium heat, brown the sausage until its crumbled and cooked through. Pour in tomato sauce, water, basil, thyme and red pepper flakes, stir then let simmer for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir together the ricotta, garlic powder, oregano and half of the fontina and parmesan. Set aside.

Transfer the sauce into a 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish then add the cooked shells and gently press them into the sauce but don’t full submerge them all. Top with dollops of the ricotta mixture then the remaining cheese. Cover with a lid or foil and bake for 20 minutes, remove the lid and continue to bake for 5-10 minutes, until the cheese is slightly browned on top.

ENJOY!