Healthy Spinach And Sausage Stuffed Manicotti - cooking recipe

Ingredients

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)

Preparation

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).
Preheat oven to 350.
Heat teaspoons of olive oil in a skillet and saute spinach until wilted. Set aside to cool. When cool chop the spinach.
Add sausage to skillet spinach was in and cook until browned. Drain.
In a bowl, combine spinach, cheeses, sausage.
Place a layer of sauce in the bottom of a 13 by 9 pan.
Stuff noodles with cheese, spinach, and sausage and place in pan.
Top with the rest of the sauce.
Bake 350 for 30 to 45 minutes.