Want a delicious & lightened up stuffed shells recipe? This easy, 30-minute pasta dish contains no meat & features sauteed veggies & light cheeses. Even picky eaters will enjoy this flavorful vegetable pasta meal.
My family loves cheesy pasta recipes, but sometimes meals like stuffed shells can be really calorie-laden. I mean, I do love them with lots of meats, cheese–don’t get me wrong.
Some of my favorite shells recipes are these 30 Minute Sausage Stuffed Shells, Shrimp Scampi Stuffed Shells, Bacon & Sausage Stuffed Shells, or these Chicken & Veggies Stuffed Shells.
But, for this lighter pasta shells recipe, I decided to use reduced fats cheeses, and a veggie filling.
The end result was a tasty meal that even my picky kids enjoyed once they got over the green spinach colored filling.
The results were so darn delicious and has my entire family begging for seconds.
Lightened up ingredients
I used low-fat varieties of ricotta and mozzarella cheese. You could use 100% fat-free versions if you want. By cutting down on the cheese calories, you eliminate a lot of the fat from this dish.
By sauteing your veggies, you add extra flavor to them which is much-appreciated to amplify this dish.
I did top this dish with a little bit of Parmesan cheese for flavor, but Parmesan is a hard cheese so it already is lower in fat.
Make
- Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
- Boil pasta shells in salted water until al dente. Once boiled, drain, and rinse with cool water.
- Squeeze out as much water as possible from the thawed spinach. I used a few paper towels and pressed the leaves in them to remove the excess moisture.
- In a large bowl, stir together the spinach, mozzarella, ricotta, shredded carrots, egg whites, pepper and nutmeg until thoroughly blended.
- Line the bottom of an 11 x 7-inch baking dish with 1/2 cup tomato sauce. Divide the ricotta mixture among the pasta shells, pressing the filling into the shells with spoon to completely fill each shell. You could also use a large tipped pastry bag for a more even filling.
- Arrange the shells side by side in a baking dish. Coat the shells with an even layer of the remaining tomato sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired.
- Bake until the center of the shells are heated through and the sauce is bubbling (about 40 minutes). Let stand 10+ minutes before serving.
Lightened Up Meatless Pasta Shells Bake
Equipment
- 13" x 9" Pyrex baking dish
- 6 quart stock pot
- large skillet
- large glass bowl
- Large spoon
Ingredients
- 12 ounces Jumbo Stuffed shells
- 24 ounces Marinara sauce
- 3 cups spinach Can use frozen (thawed with excess moisture removed)
- 2/3 cup carrot grated
- 1/2 cup onion diced
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp. sea salt
- 1 tbsp. extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 3 egg whites
- 6 ounces low-fat or fat-free mozzarella cheese
- 1 1/2 cups low-fat ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a large skillet, add olive oil, carrots, and onion. Saute until tender. Add in spinach and season with pepper, garlic powder, oregano, and nutmeg. Cook it down for about a minute. Remove from heat once done, and add to a large glass bowl.
- Boil pasta shells until al dente. Once cooked, carefully drain boiled water, and rinse shells with cool water. Drain and set aside.
- Add ricotta, mozzarella, and egg whites to the large glass bowl with the cooked veggies. Mix to combine.
- Stuff each shell with at least a heaping tablespoon of filling. Line shells in glass dish. Repeat this step until all shells are filled.
- Top shells with Parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Allow pasta to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Elizabeth @ Being MVP says
Oh that looks delicious! Perfect for weekday dinner.
Dee Mauser says
Manicotti is one of my favorite pasta dishes and this looks similar with the ingredients you listed. Sounds very good. Thanks for sharing!
Dawn says
I love stuffed shells. Thanks for this great variation on an old favorite!
Ann Bacciaglia says
This recipe looks amazing. I love eating stuffed shells. So many great ways to make them. I want to try this recipe as soon as i can.
Tammi @ My Organized Chaos says
Pasta is so much better when stuffed with goodness! Love the recipe!
Amber Edwards says
oh my goodness, I adore Stuffed shells! And those look absolutely amazing! Yum!
Mama to 5 BLessings says
I am drooling right now – I am on low carb – I miss my pasta dishes! Looks great!
Kristin says
Great recipe I love stuffed shells. Thank you for sharing.
Marina @ Mommy Snippets says
Those look yummy! I love stuffed shells. One of my favorite go to dinner recipes.
Amanda says
oh these look tasty! My kids would love stuffed shells!
Jennifer Williams says
Those look so good. I love that they are healthier than most that I see. This would be a great meal to warm up with.
Kayla @ TheEclecticElement says
My family has stopped most of the pasta since we all have wheat and gluten issues but I think I’d make an exception for your stuffed shells recipe! That looks beyond incredible. Yummy!
Melissa Pezza says
I love this recipe. It looks so yummy, and it’s a great way to get veggies into kids that are less that cooperative about them.
Ronni says
I make stuffed shells quite often, but mine a completely different! These look so yummy!
Robin (Masshole Mommy) says
Stuffed pasta is one of our favs over here! Perfect comfort food!
Debi says
I love stuffed shells! These look so amazing.
ANGELE @shoeboxbegone says
I love the versatility of pasta! must try this one!
Lisa says
do you perchance have the nutritional values for this dish? thanks!
Amy says
Sadly, no! The recipe came from this site: http://pastafits.org/pasta-recipes/healthy-stuffed-shells/
Keri says
You never mentioned where or when to add the marinara sauce, only in the ingredients. It’s obvious, you would add some to the bottom of the dish before the shells are layered, then on top!