Vegetable Stuffed Shells

I was hoping THIS recipe would turn out well ... and it did! I made a few minor tweaks, but for the most part, I stuck to the original. It was delicious and packed with veggies (and there wasn't too much cheese to offset the vegetable good-for-you-ness).

Vegetable Stuffed Shells

• 15 oz can diced tomatoes


• 8 oz can tomato sauce


• 1 C water


• 2 cloves garlic, minced


• 1 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped


• 2 tsp fresh oregano, chopped


• 1/2 sprig rosemary, chopped


• 1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese


• 15 jumbo pasta shells


• 1 tsp olive oil


• 1 1/4 C broccoli, finely chopped


• 2 carrots, shredded


• 1/2 onion


• 1 clove garlic, minced


• 5 oz spinach, thawed and coarsely cut


• 1/2 C water


• 2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped


• 1 C lowfat small-curd cottage cheese (2%) or part-skim ricotta


• 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan


• 1⁄8 tsp each salt and pepper


• 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella, divided

Combine tomatoes, sauce, water, two cloves of garlic, basil, oregano, rosemary and 1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until ready to use. 

Preheat oven to 400º F. Cook pasta, drain and cool on baking sheet per box directions.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté broccoli, carrot, onion and garlic for 3 minutes or until just tender. Add spinach and 1⁄2 C water; cover and cook 2 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Remove cover; cook until liquid is mostly evaporated. Stir in basil, cottage cheese, Parmesan, 1/4 C mozzarella, salt and pepper. Spread tomato sauce on bottom of an 8x8-in. baking dish.

Spoon filling into each shell; arrange in baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 C mozzarella, cover tightly with foil and bake 35 minutes until hot and bubbly.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 486 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories  333 Calories from Fat  81

% Daily Value*

Total Fat  9.0g 14%

Saturated Fat  4.5g 23%

Trans Fat  0.0g

Cholesterol  29mg 10%

Sodium  1053mg 44%

Total Carbohydrates  41.3g 14%

Dietary Fiber  6.7g 27%

Sugars  12.6g

Protein  23.1g

Vitamin A 193% • Vitamin C 86% Calcium 42% • Iron 20%

Nutrition Grade B

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Nutritional Analysis

Good points

• High in calcium


• Very high in vitamin A


• Very high in vitamin C

Bad points

• High in sodium

I use no-sodium-added canned tomatoes and sauce. If you do the same, you won't have the high sodium content that the nutrition information suggests.