Vegetable Stuffed Shells

In the mood for some creamy cheese filled carb boats? Me too!

But I HAVE to make the standard stuffed shells recipe a bit more healthy. This is normally considered an "easy weeknight, everynight" dish. But come on? Who's waistline can afford that much gooey goodness all the time?

Which means, make the most of your vitamins and watch your serving size and there should be no guilt on a normally considered indulgent dish. 

Bring on the Veggies!

Vegetable Stuffed Shells                         Serves 4

16-18 Jumbo pasta shells (wheat is best)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 zucchini, shredded about 1 1/2 c
1/2 c yellow onion, diced
1 {2 lb} bunch of fresh spinach, roughly chopped
1 small carrot, finely shredded
1 1/2 c part skim ricotta cheese
1/2 c Asiago cheese, shredded
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

1 c mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 jar marinara sauce or 1 1/2 c homemade pasta sauce

1. Cook pasta shells according to the package directions. Drain and set aside when done. Meanwhile start your filling.

2. In a medium saucepan add a little bit of oil. Sautee garlic for 1 minute or until aromatic. Add onions and sautee another minute. Add carrots an zucchini and sautee until tender and all water is evaporated out of the pan. Add spinach and sautee until wilted.

3. Pre-heat oven to 350F. Transfer veggies to a large bowl, combine with the rest of the ingredients (ricotta-pepper). Lay out a shallow roasting pan, spread 1/2 c of sauce on the bottom of the pan. Stuff your shells and place in the pan.

4. Drizzle 1/2 c marinara sauce over the shells and sprinkle 1/4 c mozzarella cheese on top. Cover with the lid or aluminum foil, bake for 30 minutes.

5. Enjoy!

Note: I noticed the zucchini was deviously hidden in these shells. If you have a child that hates green things (like mine), peel the zucchini and omit the spinach.

Calories calculated using Sparkrecipes Calculator: 460 calories for 4 shells