Shrimp, Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Shells

These rich and cheesy spinach and ricotta-stuffed shells are easy to make and delicious "comfort food." The cool thing about it is you can substitute various cheeses, such as Asiago or feta, in place of Parmesan and other herbs and spices, such as thyme, basil, or dill, in place of oregano. I have also used zucchini and/or broccoli in place of the spinach. I just chopped it small so there wasn't big chunks of veggie in each shell.

Ingredients
2 cups Marinara pasta sauce, or your own home cooked yummy sauce
Cooking spray
2 1/2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup shredded Italian Cheese blend
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper1 10-oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
1 large egg yolk
1 garlic clove, minced
24 cooked jumbo pasta shells

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Spread 1/2 cup sauce over bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
Combine ricotta and next 9 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well. Spoon about 1 1/2 tablespoons filling into each pasta shell. Arrange stuffed shells in prepared dish; spread with remaining 1 1/2 cups Basic Marinara. Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

Let stand 5 minutes before serving. I served my shells with a tossed salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing.


Nutritional Information

Amount per serving
Calories: 329
Calories from fat: 27%
Fat: 9.8g
Saturated fat: 4.8g
Monounsaturated fat: 3g
Polyunsaturated fat: 1g
Protein: 19.6g
Carbohydrate: 39.4g
Fiber: 4.2g
Cholesterol: 67mg
Iron: 2.8mg
Sodium: 552mg
Calcium: 377mg