Healthy Spinach And Sausage Stuffed Manicotti

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1/2 cup onion (chopped)
• 1/2 cup green pepper (chopped)
• 2 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 (15 ounce) cans chopped tomatoes (drained)
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 tablespoon basil
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 3 hot italian turkey sausage (removed from casing and crumbled)
• 2 cups fresh spinach (packed)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 cup fat-free cottage cheese
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1 (8 ounce) package manicotti (cooked)

Recipe

• 1 combine onion, green pepper, garlic, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, thyme, basil, oregano, red pepper in a medium sauce pan over medium high heat. when heated through reduce heat to low and cover. (simmer about 1 hour).
• 2 preheat oven to 350.
• 3 heat teaspoons of olive oil in a skillet and saute spinach until wilted. set aside to cool. when cool chop the spinach.
• 4 add sausage to skillet spinach was in and cook until browned. drain.
• 5 in a bowl, combine spinach, cheeses, sausage.
• 6 place a layer of sauce in the bottom of a 13 by 9 pan.
• 7 stuff noodles with cheese, spinach, and sausage and place in pan.
• 8 top with the rest of the sauce.
• 9 bake 350 for 30 to 45 minutes.