Northern Italian Pasta Shells

This is a great recipe for some good Italian comfort food. It makes quite a bit, I sometimes fill another pan and freeze it - or just cut the recipe in half. This recipe is compliments of the Paula Deen show on Food Network. It takes awhile - but is worth it.

3 pkgs frozen, chopped spinach, thawed
3 lbs ground beef
2 (8 oz) cream cheese
2 large onions, chopped
1/2 cup Grated parmesan cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 jumbo eggs
1 (1 lb) package jumbo pasta shells, cooked
1 jar spaghetti sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain spinach well and place in large bowl. Brown beef, drain, reserve 2 tbsp beef fat in pan and place meat in same bowl with spinach. Stir in cream cheese until blended with the meat and spinach. Saute the chopped onions in the reserved meat fat. Transfer onions to the bowl with the other ingredients and stir to combine. Add grated cheese, salt & pepper. Let mixture cool and then add eggs. (If mixture is too warm the eggs will start to cook.) Stuff the shells with the meat mixutre. Place in large pan and cover with jarred spaghetti sauce. Cover with foil and bake for approximately 1 hour.

Note: I use my hands for mixing and stuffing the shells - it is messy but much easier. The shells are less likely to break also.