Baked Stuffed Pasta Shells – Ricotta, Kale & Pesto
Ingredients
- 6oz (170g) jumbo pasta shells
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic, fresh
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 5 portobello mushroom caps, gills removed then diced
- pinch of sea salt & pepper
- 2 cups shredded kale
- 15oz skim milk ricotta cheese
- 4 tablespoons pesto
- 1 tablespoon The Fit Cook Land blend
- sub: 2 teaspoons dried thyme + 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 1/2 cups reduced fat marinara
- 1 1/2 cups reduced fat mozzarella
- sea salt & pepper to taste
Steps
Step 1
Set oven to 420F.
Step 2
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta shells according to the instructions given. Drain, then set aside.
Step 3
Set a pot (or cast iron casserole dish) on medium heat. Once hot, add oil, garlic, onion and mushrooms. Add a pinch of sea salt & pepper as it cooks. Cook until onions turn brown and the mushrooms shrink in size, about 3 – 5 minutes. Empty the contents and set aside.
Step 4
Place the pot back on the heat. Add shredded kale and a few tablespoons of water to create steam. Toss the kale in the pot until it turns a vibrant green color. Then set aside to cool.
Step 5
In a large bowl, mix the ricotta cheese with the mushroom mix, kale, pesto and The Fit Cook Land blend.
Step 6
In a casserole dish, spread about 1/2 cup of the marinara on the bottom. Then one by one, stuff a pasta shell with ~2 tablespoons of the ricotta mix, then add it to the casserole. Repeat.
Step 7
Cover the shells with the remaining marinara and mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. For the final 5 minutes, remove the foil so the mozzarella can brown.
Step 8
Garnish and enjoy!
