Stuffed Shells with Spinach and Cheese

An easy Italian dish that tastes like you spent all day in the kitchen. Use your favorite marinara sauce or a commercial spaghetti sauce (which may be higher in sodium).

Ingredients

5 cups (1 1/4L) marinara sauce, homemade or commercial

10 ounces (285g) frozen chopped spinach (1 package)

8 ounces (230g) jumbo pasta shells (24 shells)

2 cups (455g) lowfat ricotta cheese

1 whole egg (or 2 egg whites)

12 ounces (340g) mozzarella cheese, part skim milk, shredded

1/2 cup (60g) Asiago cheese, fresh, grated (or freshly grated Parmesan cheese)

1/3 tsp (1g) nutmeg

1 Tbsp (6g) basil, dried

1/4 tsp (1g) pepper

2 Tbsp (15g) Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions

If making marinara sauce, prepare and set aside.

Thaw frozen spinach in the microwave, drain well and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°F (160°C).

In a large pot with rapidly boiling water, cook jumbo shells until done and drain.

In a large bowl, mix ricotta cheese and egg together, add all of the mozzarella cheese, Asiago cheese, nutmeg, basil, pepper, and spinach.

Prepare a 9x13-inch (22x32cm) baking dish with vegetable oil spray. Put half of the marinara sauce in the baking dish covering the bottom of the pan. Stuff shells with cheese mixture and arrange in baking dish. Cover with remaining marinara sauce. Cover pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle with remaining Asiago cheese. Bake uncovered for another 10 minutes until bubbling hot.

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The information presented in Foodnotes is for informational purposes only and was created by a team of U.S. registered dietitians and food experts. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements, making dietary changes, or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires December 2003.