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4.9 from 132 votes

Stuffed Shells Recipe with Meat Sauce

Delicious Stuffed Shells with Meat Sauce are made with jumbo pasta shells stuffed with ricotta cheese, mozzarella and spinach in a ground turkey meat sauce. Healthy, high protein and family friendly!

Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 25 mins
Total Time
1 hr 40 mins
Servings: 9 servings
Calories: 3609 kcal
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

  • 27 jumbo pasta shells (such as barilla, or gf pasta, 9 ounces total)
  • 1 cup onion (finely chopped)
  • 2 garlic cloves (chopped)
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 lb 99% lean ground turkey (or 93% lean)
  • 32 oz crushed tomatoes (I used Tuttorosso)
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
  • salt and pepper (to taste)
  • 2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese for more protein)
  • 8 oz part-skim mozzarella cheese (shredded)
  • 1 large egg
  • 16 oz package frozen spinach (thawed and squeezed well)
  • 1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (or parmesan cheese)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Prep the Pasta Shells: Cook the jumbo pasta shells according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
  2. Meanwhile, saute onions and garlic in oil.
  3. In a large bowl, mix together ricotta, egg, spinach, mozzarella, and parmesan.
  4. Once shells are cooked and cool, fill each shell with (about 2 heaping tbsp) cheese mixture and place on a large baking dish, or two smaller dishes, covering the bottom of the dish with a little sauce.
  5. Preheat oven to 375F.
  6. Add the ground turkey and salt and brown until cooked, breaking up in small pieces with a wooden spoon.
  7. Top shells with half of the sauce, cover with foil and bake 40 minutes; uncover foil and bake 5 more minutes.
  8. Stir in the tomatoes, salt, pepper and basil, then simmer on low, covered, about 15 minutes, until the flavors meld.
  9. Serve with additional sauce on top and garnish with fresh basil, if desired.

Nutrition Information

Serving 3stuffed shells Calories 360.9kcal (18%) Carbohydrates 34.3g (11%) Protein 28.4g (57%) Fat 12.8g (20%) Saturated Fat 3.7g (19%) Cholesterol 72.5mg (24%) Sodium 375mg (16%) Fiber 3.3g (13%) Sugar 0.5g (1%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 9servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 3609

% Daily Value*

Serving 3stuffed shells
Calories 360.9kcal 18%
Carbohydrates 34.3g 11%
Protein 28.4g 57%
Fat 12.8g 20%
Saturated Fat 3.7g 19%
Cholesterol 72.5mg 24%
Sodium 375mg 16%
Fiber 3.3g 13%
Sugar 0.5g 1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.