Cheesy Veggie Stuffed Shells

Pack these pasta shells with spinach, zucchini, mushrooms and onions, then top the dish with a sugar-free jarred sauce for a quick and healthy meal! This recipe comes to us from our friends at Produce for Kids.

Serves 6

Food for Thought: Experts agree, we eat too much sugar and it’s very bad for us. There’s a lot of sugar in everyday foods and drinks that might seem healthy, like cereal and fruit juice. How can you tell if food has too much sugar in it? What’s a good way to eat less sugar?

Cooking Tip of the Week: Dairy products and whole fruits and vegetables contain naturally occurring sugar. These foods are packaged with lots of other nutrients, so they’re a good choice when you’re avoiding added sugar. Grab a piece of fruit next time a craving hits!

Family Dinner Conversation Starter: Do you think you can go 10 days without sugar? What do you think our family will learn, and how can we support each other?

Ingredients:

• 24 jumbo pasta shells, cooked according to package directions
• 2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
• 1/3 cup onion, grated
• 1/3 cup mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup zucchini, grated
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jar (26 oz.) low-sodium pasta sauce

Directions:

Together: Cook pasta shells according to package directions.

Together: Chop spinach and mushrooms, grate onion and zucchini and mince garlic.

Adult: 
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Kid: 
Mix ricotta, 1/2 cup mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, spinach, onion, mushrooms, zucchini and garlic in large mixing bowl.

Together: Fill each cooked pasta shell with 2 Tbsp. cheese/vegetable mixture and arrange in 13×9-inch baking dish. Top with pasta sauce and bake 30 minutes. Top with remaining ½ cup mozzarella and bake 5 minutes, or until cheese melts.