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Who isn't a sucker for stuffed pasta? It’s comfort food at its finest. Not so comforting is the fact that meals like these pack a mean punch in the fat and calories department (some upwards of 800 calories and 20 grams of saturated fat!). A much healthier option is to make them at home. Here 4 tips how to make healthier pasta;
1. Use More Spinach
The typical cheese-to-spinach ratio for stuffed shells weighs heavily in favor of the cheese. Reverse that ratio and use less cheese for stuffing, replacing it with spinach. The spinach adds fiber and other nutrients and helps drastically cut back on fat and calories. Replacing just 1 cup of whole milk ricotta with 1 cup spinach saves 381 calories and 31 grams of fat.
2. Think Beyond Cheese In Your Stuffing
Cheese is delicious, but it’s high in saturated fat and calories. Consider adding other ingredients like breadcrumbs to your stuffing. The flavor of the breadcrumbs is so mild that it’s barely detectable. They’re not only lower in fat, but they act as a binder in the stuffing to help absorb moisture from the spinach.
3. Use Cheese That's Lower In Fat And Bigger In Flavor
Choose part-skim ricotta for stuffing. It will save 45 calories and 6 grams of fat over whole milk ricotta. For topping, try Parmesan instead of mozzarella. What Parmesan lacks in the melting department it more than makes up for in the flavor department, so you can use less but get more satisfying, delicious flavor in each bite.
4. Choose Your Sauce Wisely
Outside of fat and calories, stuffed pasta dishes also tend to be high in sodium. Sodium comes in part from the cheese, but mostly from the sauce. Since shells should be saucy, look for brands of marinara that are lower in sodium or make your own sauce from unsalted crushed tomatoes.
Take this EatingWell’s Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Shells as an option
6 serving
Active Time: 1 1/4 hours
Total Time: 2 hours
Ingredients
24 jumbo pasta shells, (8 ounces)
1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
2 pounds fresh spinach, trimmed and washed, or two 10-ounce packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
2/3 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
3 cups prepared marinara sauce, preferably low-sodium
Preparation
*Preheat oven to 375°F. Cook shells in a large pot of boiling water, stirring often, until just tender, about 15 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside.
*Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. If using fresh spinach, add it in batches and toss with tongs until wilted. Drain in a colander, pressing out excess moisture with the back of a spoon. Let cool. If using thawed frozen, add it to the onions and toss to mix well. Set aside.
*Combine ricotta, breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup Parmesan and nutmeg in a bowl; mix well. Add the reserved spinach and season with salt and pepper. Stir in egg white.
*Stuff each of the reserved shells with a generous 2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture. Spread 1 cup marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Arrange the stuffed shells in a single layer. Top with the remaining 2 cups of the sauce and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake until the top is golden and the shells are heated through, about 30 minutes. (If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil.) Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Per serving: 438 calories; 12 g fat ( 6 g sat , 4 g mono ); 32 mg cholesterol; 59 g carbohydrates; 25 g protein; 7 g fiber; 574 mg sodium; 1121 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (315% daily value), Vitamin C (104% dv), Folate (86% dv), Calcium (51% dv), Magnesium (47% dv), Potassium (45% dv), Iron (41% dv), Selenium (30% dv), Zinc (21% dv).
Carbohydrate Servings: 3 1/2
Exchanges: 2 1/2 starch, 4 vegetable, 2 medium-fat meat
Total Time: 2 hours
Ingredients
24 jumbo pasta shells, (8 ounces)
1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
2 pounds fresh spinach, trimmed and washed, or two 10-ounce packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
2/3 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
3 cups prepared marinara sauce, preferably low-sodium
Preparation
*Preheat oven to 375°F. Cook shells in a large pot of boiling water, stirring often, until just tender, about 15 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside.
*Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. If using fresh spinach, add it in batches and toss with tongs until wilted. Drain in a colander, pressing out excess moisture with the back of a spoon. Let cool. If using thawed frozen, add it to the onions and toss to mix well. Set aside.
*Combine ricotta, breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup Parmesan and nutmeg in a bowl; mix well. Add the reserved spinach and season with salt and pepper. Stir in egg white.
*Stuff each of the reserved shells with a generous 2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture. Spread 1 cup marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Arrange the stuffed shells in a single layer. Top with the remaining 2 cups of the sauce and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake until the top is golden and the shells are heated through, about 30 minutes. (If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil.) Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Per serving: 438 calories; 12 g fat ( 6 g sat , 4 g mono ); 32 mg cholesterol; 59 g carbohydrates; 25 g protein; 7 g fiber; 574 mg sodium; 1121 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (315% daily value), Vitamin C (104% dv), Folate (86% dv), Calcium (51% dv), Magnesium (47% dv), Potassium (45% dv), Iron (41% dv), Selenium (30% dv), Zinc (21% dv).
Carbohydrate Servings: 3 1/2
Exchanges: 2 1/2 starch, 4 vegetable, 2 medium-fat meat
Enjoy you creation....:)
Image & Articles source : www.eatingwell.com
