Spinach Stuffed Shells with Meat Sauce

I'm not going to lie this was not my favorite. I think the problem was the spinach. I don't like frozen spinach. Next time I think we will use fresh spinach and wilt it ourselves which will hoping make it less soggy and more fresh tasting. At the very same moment that I was eating it saying "meh" Thing 1 DEVOURED his whole plate full and wanted seconds. That's an epic win. Not to mention Thing 2 (who is my not so picky child) not only ate it all up and had seconds but he did his little 1 year old happy dance while he was eating it so I knew that was a win. All in all this was considered a win in our house which is good because we split it and have a pan in the freezer. I will definitely substitute the spinach but as it is I would give it a 4 out of 5 stars. I didn't like it as much as I had hoped but the kids did and I would definitely eat it again.


Source: http://www.skinnytaste.com/

Ingredients

• 27 (9 oz) Barilla Jumbo Shells
• 1 cup onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, choppeds
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 lb 99% lean ground turkey
• 32 oz crushed tomatoes I used Tuttorosso
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• salt and pepper
• 2 cups part skim ricotta cheese
• 8 oz reduced fat mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 egg
• 16 oz package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed well
• 1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano

Directions

1. Boil water and cook shells according to package directions, make sure to make them al dente.
2. Meanwhile, saute onions and garlic in oil. Add turkey and salt and brown until cooked, breaking up in small pieces. Add tomatoes, salt, pepper and basil, then simmer on low, covered, about 15 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 375°.
4. In a large bowl, mix together ricotta, egg, spinach, mozzarella, and parmesan.
5. 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.
6. Top shells with half of the sauce, cover with foil and bake 40 minutes; uncover foil and bake 5 more minutes.
7. Serve with additional sauce on top.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 360.9 • Fat: 12.8 g • Protein: 28.4 g • Carb: 34.3 g • Fiber: 3.3 g

Servings: 9 • Serving size: 3 stuffed shells • Old Points: 7 pts • Points+: 9 pts