Italian food is tasty, comforting, and very filling. Spaghetti was my ultimate favorite dinner growing up. I just loved having an enormous plate of pasta with a generous dollop of marinara sauce with fried ground beef mixed in. Especially fun was topping the whole glorious creation with a snow (well, more like a blizzard) of grated parmesan cheese. This was my usual request for my birthday dinner. My daughter, Natalie, loves Italian food too. "Noodle-bots" as she calls them, are probably her favorite things to eat. However, it is not always filled with as much nutritious content as it could be. This recipe puts a spin on the classic cheesy, saucy stuffed shell that is a staple in Italian cuisine. With lean ground turkey and spinach adding protein and flavor, these stuffed shells are sure to leave you not feeling guilty about dishing up seconds. What more could you ask for?
Turkey and Spinach Stuffed Shells
Keywords: entree turkey stuffed shells spinach Italian
Ingredients (Serves 4)
- 1 jar marinara sauce
- 3/4 lbs. lean ground turkey
- 1 package frozen spinach
- 15 oz container of reduced-fat ricotta cheese
- 4 oz reduced-fat mozzarella cheese (shredded)
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese (grated)
- 1 egg
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- 1/2 tbsp fresh basil (minced)
- 1 box jumbo shell whole wheat pasta
Instructions
Cook the pasta according to directions on the box. Rinse and put in cold water. Saute the ground turkey until cooked (about 5-10 minutes) and season with salt and pepper.
Thaw the spinach and preheat the oven to 350F. Pour a layer of marina into the bottom of a baking dish. Mix ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, and egg until well combined. Add salt and pepper, basil and parsley and mix well. Add ground turkey and spinach to mixture, mix well.
Fill each shell with a few tablespoons of filling and place in baking dish. Cover your shells with a layer of marinara and cover the baking dish with foil.
Bake at 350F until bubbling at the edges (about 30-40 minutes).
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