I saw a recipe for seafood stuffed shells with a creamy (read high fat) sauce that looked really good. So I decided to try to make a better for me version. Here is what you’ll need:
Jumbo Shells
1/2 onion
16 oz crab (I used canned that I found in the refrigerated seafood section of the store)
10 oz small shrimp
15 oz part-skim ricotta
1/4 cup egg beaters (or 2 egg whites)
1 cup mozzarella (divided in half)
Italian seasoning (about 2 tsp)
2 cups marinara
2 Tbsp fat-free half & half
First I started the water to boil so I could cook the shells while I did the rest of the prep.
I chopped up the onion using the chopper. I wanted it very small for this recipe.
I added in crab, shrimp, ricotta, egg, 1/2 cup mozzarella and the Italian seasoning.
The shells were done at this point, be careful not to overcook them, they just need to be flexible enough to stuff.
I also mixed the marinara with the half & half. I used jarred sauce this time, but I do like to make my own, there was just no time for that today! I put about a half cup of that in the bottom of a baking dish and started to stuff the shells. I lined the shells in the baking dish and covered them with the rest of the marinara.
I covered them with foil and baked them at 350 for about 30 minutes. After that, I removed the foil, sprinkled the rest of the mozzarella on top and baked them for another 15 minutes.
Overall this turned out really well. I’d make some changes if I did this again though. I’d dice the onion normally and saute them before mixing everything together. Also, I’d leave out the half & half. I thought it would go better with the seafood mixture, but honestly, plain old red sauce would be fine. It does taste good though!
4 shells has about 400 calories and 8 grams of fat. Not too bad for a cheesy pasta dish!
I do a similar recipe with chicken and spinach if you aren’t a seafood person. I shredded chicken mixed it with the spinach, ricotta, mozzarella, egg and seasoning. I just used a regular red sauce for that and it was really good. Get creative!
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