Spaghetti with meat sauce is so comforting but can get a little boring. These Stuffed Shells Bolognese are only 420 calories per serving and every bit as satisfying as the spaghetti dinner your family demands every week or so. You’ll stuff jumbo pasta shells with a ricotta mixture that includes roasted peppers, parsley and cheese. They will take a dip in a hearty sauce made of ground beef, garlic, crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Top with more cheese and broil till melted and bubbly. Hungry yet?
Have your kids help you dump and mix ingredients. They can also tear up some parsley before you chop it. As you enjoy this meal with those you love, teach them about a few of the ingredients:
- Ricotta cheese is a good source of phosphorus, which helps you have energy.
- Eating garlic may help keep your immune system strong.
- Parsley is a good source of folic acid, which protects you from anemia (a condition that makes you feel tired).
Let’s learn a few things about Italy and it’s people:
- Italians love to get together often for big meals and they celebrate a lot of holidays.
- Italy has lots of earthquakes because of where it’s positioned on the earth’s tectonic plates.
- You would never find pineapple on a pizza in Italy.
From: Stuffed Shells Bolognese
- Kosher salt
- 16 jumbo pasta shells (about 6 ounces)
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 8 ounces extra-lean ground beef
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1⅓ cups part-skim ricotta cheese
- ½ cup chopped jarred roasted bell peppers
- 1 large egg white
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 3 tablespoons low-fat shredded Italian cheese blend
- Freshly ground pepper
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs. Reserve 1½ cups cooking water, then drain the pasta and rinse under cold water; set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add the beef and cook, breaking up the meat, until browned, 5 minutes. Add the garlic; cook 1 minute. Reduce the heat to medium; add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 cup of the reserved cooking water and ½ teaspoon salt. Let simmer while you stuff the shells, about 5 minutes, adding more cooking water if the sauce gets too thick.
- Preheat the broiler. Mix the ricotta, roasted peppers, egg white, 1 tablespoon each parsley and shredded cheese, ½ teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a bowl. Stuff 1 tablespoon of the mixture into each shell; arrange in the skillet seam-side up. Top with the remaining 2 tablespoons shredded cheese; broil until bubbling, 5 minutes. Top with the remaining 1 tablespoon parsley.
