Italian Turkey Sausage and Spinach Stuffed Shells

24 whole jumbo pasta shells
1 pound ground sweet Italian turkey sausage (or use links by removing the casings)
2 whole fresh garlic cloves, minced
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
4 cups baby spinach, stems removed
28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
2 Tbs. basil pesto (from a jar like Classico)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

Prepare shells according to package instructions and cook until al dente. Drain, and rinse with cold water; set aside.

In a large pan brown the sausage and garlic. Cook until meat is completely cooked through. Drain grease and return to pan. Stir in the ricotta, Parmesan, and spinach. Cook over low heat until spinach begins to wilt just a little.

Meanwhile, in a medium size bowl, whisk together the crushed tomatoes and pesto. Spoon a little bit of the sauce into the bottom of a 9×13 pan. Stuff each shell with 1-2 tablespoons of the sausage filling and place open-side-up in the pan. Top the shells with the remaining tomato sauce, and sprinkle with mozzarella.

Bake, covered, for 15 minutes, then uncovered for 5 minutes.