You and your guests will love this
delectable cheese-laden pasta dish. In addition to the reduced-fat
ricotta cheese, feel free to use lower fat versions of the other
cheeses in this recipe as well. Make sure you use jumbo pasta shells
for this recipe. You won't be able to stuff smaller sized shells.
Cooking Tip :
How can I
check the doneness of the pasta shells when they are cooking?
While cooking the pasta shells, use a slotted spoon to
remove one shell from the pot. Run the shell under cold water for a
few seconds and then open the shell with your fingers. If it opens
easily, the shells are ready, but if it starts to tear, return it to
the pot and cook for another minute. Keep checking every minute until
the shells are done.
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Ingredients :
Serves 6
-
½ pound jumbo pasta shells (about 30
shells)
-
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped
spinach or broccoli, cooked
-
1 jar (26 ounces) pasta sauce
-
16 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese
-
¼ pound (about 1 cup) shredded cheddar or
mozzarella cheese
-
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
-
1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper
-
2 eggs
-
¼ pound (about 1 cup) shredded mozzarella
cheese or mozzarella blend
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Method :
-
Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly
coat the inside of a 9x13 inch baking pan with oil.
-
Cook the pasta shells. Using a slotted
spoon, remove the shells and place them in a colander that is sitting
on a plate. Rinse the pasta shells under cold running water and set
aside.
-
Gently squeeze the excess moisture from
the cooked spinach (or broccoli) with your hands. Set aside.
-
Spread 1 ¼ cups of pasta sauce evenly
over the bottom of the baking pan.
-
In a large bowl, place the spinach,
ricotta cheese, shredded cheddar (or mozzarella), nutmeg, salt and
pepper.
-
Break the eggs into a small bowl and then
add to the spinach mixture. Stir well to combine.
-
Holding a pasta shell open in one hand,
spoon 1 heaping tablespoon of filling into the pasta shell. Place into
the baking pan. Repeat with the remaining pasta shells.
-
Slowly pour the rest of the pasta sauce
evenly over the pasta shells. Sprinkle the mozzarella (or
mozzarella blend) evenly over the entire surface of the baking pan.
-
Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil.
Bake until the sauce is bubbling gently, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove
the aluminum foil.
-
Bake until the top layer of the cheese is
melted and the sauce is bubbling more vigorously, about 10 to 15
minutes. Try serving this dish with the Caesar Salad.
Nutritional Facts Per Serving:
Calories ................................
451
Calories from Fat ...............
173
Total Fat ..............................19 g
Saturated Fat ...................11 g
Monounsaturated Fat ......... 5 g
Polyunsaturated Fat ............1 g
Cholesterol ........................120 mg
Sodium ............................1419 mg
Total Carbohydrates ................44 g
Dietary Fiber .......................5 g
Sugars ...............................8 g
Protein ..................................28 g |
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