Low Calorie Spinach Ricotta Stuffed Shells Recipe 435

SPINACH AND RICOTTA STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 F.
• Bring about 3 liters of water to the boil in a big pot.
• Heat a large pan over medium heat.
• Peel and finely chop shallots and garlic. Set aside.
• Wash and deseed zucchini by using a spoon and spooning out the seeds, then dice into pinky finger nail small pieces.
• Add a dollop of olive oil to pan and then add chopped shallots and garlic. Sauté until translucent.
• The water should now be boiling, add shells to boiling water and stir every once in a while to avoid sticking together. Cook as long as instructed on package (usually 10 minutes).
• Add ricotta, parmesan, cream, salt and pepper to pan mix well and bring to the boil. Once boiling remove one cup of the sauce and pour onto the bottom of a ovenproof dish.
• Add zucchini and spinach to pan and cook for about 2 minutes, then remove from heat.
• Drain shells and immediately rinse with cold water to avoid from sticking together.
• Fill shells with filling by holding in one hand and filling with a spoon and then place on the ricotta sauce layer in the ovenproof dish.
• Bake for 15 minutes.
• While shells are baking, deseed tomato and cut into small cubes.
• Decorate shells with cubes and serve immediately.

SPINACH AND RICOTTA STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cook pasta until al dente according to package directions.
• Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion and cook until tender about 3-4 minutes. Add in garlic and cook for an additional minute.
• Add the spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes.
• Transfer the spinach mixture to a large bowl and add in ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
• Spread about 1/2 of the sauce in the bottom of a 8 x8 or 9 x 9 baking dish.
• Stuff shells with the spinach cheese mixture and place in the baking dish.
• Top with the remaining sauce and bake for 20-30 minutes or until warmed through.
• Serve immediately with basil and parmesan cheese, if desired.

LOW CALORIE SPINACH & RICOTTA STUFFED SHELLS RECIPE - (4.2/5)

Steps:

• Cook shells according to package directions; rinse under cold water, drain and pat dry. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, sugar and season with salt and pepper to taste. Let simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 9 x 9 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Combine spinach, both cheeses, egg white and 1/4 teaspoon of each salt and pepper in a large bowl. Spoon half the tomato sauce into prepared dish and mix. Stuff each shell with 1 heaping tablespoon and arrange stuffed shells in baking dish. Spoon remaining sauce over shells and cover with aluminum foil. Bake until pasta is cooked through and sauce begins to bubble, about 30 minutes. Let sit 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

SPINACH AND RICOTTA STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cook the pasta al dente, according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the garlic and cook until it begins to brown, about a minute or two. Add the spinach and cook, stirring occasionally, until the leaves begin to wilt but are still bright green, about 3 to 4 minutes. The spinach should be reduced by half. Remove from the heat and let cool.
• In a mixing bowl, stir together the spinach, ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, basil and salt and pepper until thoroughly combined. Pour 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce into the bottom of a shallow 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish. Stuff each pasta shell with a generous amount of the spinach and ricotta mixture, and place in the baking dish.
• Cover with the remaining sauce and bake covered with aluminum foil for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the top begins to brown and the sauce begins the bubble, another 10-15 minutes. Serve warm with a dusting of Parmesan.

MOM'S SPINACH AND RICOTTA STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Bring 4 - 5 qts of water to a rolling boil, add 2 tbs of salt, gently add pasta, be sure to add extra shells as you will lose a few, cook for approximately 10 minutes, or it tests al dente. Drain and rinse in cold water. If pasta is starchy, you can toss in olive oil to prevent from sticking, but use sparingly as it will also prevent the cheese from sticking.
• While pasta is cooking start your sauce:.
• In an 6-8 qt pan brown meats over a medium hot burner, work it with a spoon until meat crumbles, add onion, then cook until dark brown, If there is an excessive amount of fat, drain and, optionally, rinse. Add garlic and season to taste. Cook until garlic is fragrant, use caution not to burn. Add sauce & paste, reduce to a simmer. Continue to simmer until ready to serve, adjust seasoning as necessary.
• While meat sauce is cooking thaw and rinse and your spinach, I like to use the microwave , but you can rinse it under hot water. After draining all the water you can in a colander wrap the spinach in a very clean towel and twist to get the remaining water out, this is a critical step. When you get done the spinach will be VERY dry. Crumble the spinach in a large bowl, add ricotta, ¾ of the mozzarella, ¾ of the parmesan, mix, add egg, mix add seasonings/garlic and mix. Be sure to add enough salt here, the spinach really comes alive when seasoned properly.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• I like to bake the noodles in 8x12 foil pans, but you can use a single ½ sheet pan or a large casserole dish or a pair of 9x13 pans. Whatever you decide, lightly grease the pans, ladle in a generous amount of sauce. Each shell will take about 2 tablespoons of filling. They are very full, but not too top heavy. I fit about 20 shells in an 8x12 pan. Once the shells are filled and arranged, spoon a small amount of sauce on each one, sprinkle remaining cheeses on the top, cover with greased foil and bake for 25 minutes.
• If you are making the shells ahead of time you will need to adjust your cooking time, bake at 325 for 15 minutes or so, then raise temp to 350 and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 5 minutes, until cheese is melted. At this point you can turn on the broiler (top element) and brown the cheeses.
• Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes (or so) while you warm up your garlic bread.