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stuffed shells recipe

Delicious Stuffed Shells with Meat Sauce are made with jumbo pasta shells stuffed with ricotta cheese, mozzarella and spinach in a ground turkey meat sauce. Healthy, high protein and family friendly!
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 9
Cuisine: Chinese
Calories: 120
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Main Ingredients
  • 27 shells Jumbo Pasta Shells (9 ounces total)
  • 1 cup onion (finely chopped)
  • 2 cloves garlic (chopped)
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 lb 99% lean ground turkey (or 93% lean)
  • 32 oz crushed tomatoes (such as Tuttorosso)
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese for more protein)
  • 8 oz part-skim mozzarella cheese (shredded)
  • 1 large egg
  • 16 oz frozen spinach (thawed and squeezed well)
  • 0.25 cup Parmigiano Reggiano (or parmesan cheese)

Method
 

Prep the Pasta Shells
  1. Cook the jumbo pasta shells according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
Prepare the Meat Sauce
  1. Meanwhile, saute onions and garlic in oil.
  2. Add the ground turkey and salt and brown until cooked, breaking up in small pieces with a wooden spoon.
  3. Stir in the tomatoes, salt, pepper and basil, then simmer on low, covered, about 15 minutes, until the flavors meld.
Prepare the Cheese Filling
  1. In a large bowl, mix together ricotta, egg, spinach, mozzarella, and parmesan.
Assemble The Stuffed Shells
  1. Once shells are cooked and cool, fill each shell with (about 2 heaping tbsp) cheese mixture and place on a large baking dish, or two smaller dishes, covering the bottom of the dish with a little sauce.
Bake
  1. Preheat oven to 375F (190C).
  2. Top shells with half of the sauce, cover with foil and bake 40 minutes; uncover foil and bake 5 more minutes.
  3. Serve with additional sauce on top and garnish with fresh basil, if desired.

Notes

These stuffed shells are great for meal prep, freezing leftovers, or feeding a crowd!