Sausage and Eggplant-Stuffed Shells in a Tomato-Basil Cream Sauce | Gourmet Recipes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1 large eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 7 cups cubed)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1/2 cup ricotta or mascarpone cheese
• 12 ounces fresh spinach, blanched, squeezed dry, and chopped (about 2/3 cup chopped)
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 (12-ounce) package jumbo pasta shells (about 18 shells)
• 2 cups Italian crushed tomatoes
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves or 1 Tbs Dried Basil
• 4 ounces coarsely grated fontina cheese or mozzarella