Substituting Italian turkey sausage shaves the fat and saturated fat. We substituted reduced-fat Italian blend cheese and light ricotta to shed the whole-milk heaviness. The flavor received a natural boost of vitamin A by adding shredded carrots.
Italian pork sausage >
lean Italian turkey sausage
whole milk ricotta cheese >
light ricotta cheese
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese >
2 cups shredded reduced-fat Italian cheese blend
added shredded carrots
Nutritional Highlights
420 (before)
290 (after)
22 g (before)
9 g (after)
10 g (before)
3 g (after)
45 % (before)
70 % (after)
30 min |
1 hr 20 min |
12 servings (2 shells each) |
24 jumbo pasta shells (from 12-oz box)
1 lb lean Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
1 container (15 oz) light ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded reduced-fat Italian cheese blend (8 oz)
1 box (9 oz) Green Giant® frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed to drain
1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
3/4 cup finely shredded carrots (1 medium)
1 jar (25.5 oz) Muir Glen® organic Italian herb pasta sauce
1
Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package, omitting salt.
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2
In 10-inch nonstick skillet, crumble sausage. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until no longer pink; drain.
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3
In medium bowl, stir ricotta cheese, 1 cup of the Italian cheese blend, the spinach and basil until well mixed. Stir in carrots and sausage.
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4
Spread about 1/2 cup of the pasta sauce over bottom of baking dish. Spoon about 3 tablespoonfuls sausage mixture into each pasta shell. Arrange shells, filled sides up, on sauce in baking dish. Pour remaining pasta sauce over stuffed shells. Spray 15-inch piece of foil with cooking spray; cover shells with foil.
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5
Bake 40 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining 1 cup Italian cheese blend. Bake uncovered 5 to 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.
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Nutritional Information
2 shells:
Calories 290 (Calories from Fat 80); Total Fat 9g (Saturated Fat 3g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 40mg; Sodium 720mg; Total Carbohydrate 33g (Dietary Fiber 2g, Sugars 7g); Protein 19g
% Daily Value
Vitamin A 70%; Vitamin C 4%; Calcium 25%; Iron 15%
Exchanges
2 Starch, 1/2 Vegetable, 1 1/2 Lean Meat, 0 Medium-Fat Meat, 1/2 Fat
Carbohydrate Choices
2
