- Calories: 305
- Protein: 15 g
- Total Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 51 g
- Dietary Fiber: 6 g
- Total Sugar: 10 g
- Natural Sugar: 10 g
- Added Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 85 mg
Love stuffed shells? Me, too! I especially love it when I find a version that’s both delicious and healthy. That’s why I had to share this recipe, from the new low-sodium cookbook Low-So Good by Jessica Goldman Foung (aka sodium girl). Get ready to dig in!
- Prep time
- Total Time
One 12-ounce box jumbo pasta shells
1 teaspoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 cup grated zucchini
2 cups low-sodium ricotta cheese
½ cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish
⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
2 cups canned no-salt-added tomato sauce
2 cups canned no-salt-added butternut squash purée
Optional low-sodium spices, such as smoked paprika and garlic powder
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly oil a 9-by-12-inch baking dish.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and add the pasta shells. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook until al dente, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain the pasta shells in a colander and rinse with cool water.
Meanwhile, add the olive oil to a medium skillet or sauté pan and heat over medium-high heat. When hot, add the zucchini until soft. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, basil, zucchini and allspice and mix well. Set aside.
Combine the tomato sauce, butternut squash puree and spices in a bowl. Spread 1 cup of the mixture in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Fill each pasta shell with the ricotta mixture, about 1 Tbsp per shell, and place in the baking dish in a single layer, seam-side up. Cover the stuffed shells with the remaining tomato sauce-butternut squash mixture. Drizzle a little olive oil over the top, cover the dish with aluminum foil, and bake until the shells are tender, 15 minutes. Uncover the dish and continue to bake for another 10 minutes. Turn on the broiler for the final 3 minutes to crisp the pasta shells. Garnish with basil, and serve hot.
Excerpted with permission from Low-So Good: A Guide to Real Food, Big Flavor, and Less Sodium with 70 Amazing Recipes by Jessica Goldman Foung, photographs by John Lee, Chronicle Books (2016).