VEGGIE STUFFED SHELLS

A satisfying meatless meal, these vegetarian stuffed shells are filled with healthy veggies, yogurt and cheese.  Topped with a flavorful tomato sauce, this one is sure to be a family favorite!

Pasta is a big hit in my house!  We eat pasta at least once a week because 1) I love it, and since I do the cooking, I usually make things I love 2) It is one food everyone in my family will eat.  Now take broccoli on the other hand, and that is a food that NO ONE in my family will eat.  Except for me.  I like broccoli.  Every time I’ve tried to sneak broccoli in to dinner, it hasn’t work.  Added to mac and cheese?  Nope.  Broccoli cheese bites?  Nope.  Covered in butter?  Still nope.  I have a tough crowd when it comes to broccoli.  So when my sister told me she made stuffed shells with broccoli inside, I thought that sounded great, but I wasn’t sure the kids would eat it.  They seem to have a superhuman ability to detect broccoli, no matter how well hidden I think it is.  But I was SO wrong!  They ate these stuffed shells, and asked for seconds, and never even cared that there was broccoli inside.  Success!!!  These shells are SO delicious, and you can’t tell one bit that they are stuffed with healthy veggies.

So what makes these healthy?  They are FULL of veggies.  Broccoli, carrots, tomatoes.  They are stuffed with plain yogurt and mozzarella cheese, so they don’t have a lot of added fat.  They have SO much flavor, and are such a warm and cozy dish.  These would be perfect for a family dinner, or even for having company over.  It’s definitely a meal everyone will love!

VEGGIE STUFFED SHELLS

  • Author: 
  •  Prep Time: 40 mins
  •  Cook Time: 45 mins
  •  Total Time: 1 hour 25 mins
  •  Yield: 8 1x

SCALE

Ingredients

  • 1216 ounces of large shell pasta
  • Filling
  • 1 cup grated carrot (1 large carrot)
  • 1 cup finely minced broccoli
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
  • 1 (4oz) can tomato paste
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • Sauce
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, minced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp italian seasoning
  • 1 (14oz) can tomato sauce
  • 1 (14oz) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 T basil pesto
  • 1 12-16oz box of large pasta shells

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bring water to a boil and cook pasta shells according to package directions. Drain and rinse. While the pasta is cooking, saute carrot and broccoli in olive oil over medium heat. Saute until they are softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool. Next, put the sauce together. To a skillet on medium heat add onion and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes. Then, add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, salt, pepper, italian seasoning, and pesto. Stir, and let sauce simmer while you assemble the filling. In a large bowl mix together cooled carrot/broccoli mixture, salt, pepper, garlic powder, yogurt, tomato paste, and cheese. Taste the mixture and adjust seasonings as needed. Scoop 1-2 tablespoons of filling into each shell, and place in a 13×9 pan until the filling is gone and the pan is filled. Pour sauce over top. Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes until hot and bubbly. Enjoy!

Notes

Thanks to my sister, Tiffany, for this recipe idea!

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