Anyway, stuffed pasta shells... I think there is a common misconception about diabetics and pasta. It was really funny. We had a friend invite us for dinner one night and she was texting me the recipes that she was going to make. To quote her, "I don't want to kill you or anything". Oh so funny! She was referring to the fact that the dinner was going to be mainly Olive Garden inspired. Which means pasta.... so while Pasta isn't bad for anyone in general, it's not good in large amounts either. It's like any other carb. In moderation and balanced properly, pasta can be healthy.
So when I was first diagnosed, I was intensely sticking to a diet. Rob and I went to Barnes and Noble to get a diabetic cookbook.That's where this gem comes from. The only other time I have had stuffed pasta shells was when I was in college and my dear friend (different from said friend above) and I would cook because well... it was nice to have a home cooked meal in college. I ate so poorly. That girl saved me many a night! But anywho, so this recipe is somewhat similar to hers, but made a little healthier by substituting out ingredients for the lower fat option.
So here's a picture of delicious awesomeness!
And here's the recipe:
Stuffed Pasta Shells
Ingredients:
1/2 lb Ground Turkey
1/2 tsp Fennel Seed
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
2 cups mushrooms
1 small-medium onion (~1/2 cup)
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese
2 eggs
Jumbo Pasta Shells
2 cups red pasta sauce
Start a large pot of water boiling for the pasta. Once the water is boiling, add the shells. Cook the shells until just after al dente, or to your liking. Once they have finished cooking, I rinse with cold water so I can handle them.
Cook the meat. Mix in the fennel seed, salt, pepper, and Italian seasonings.Once you have cooked the meat, remove from the pan. In that same pan add a little olive oil and saute the mushrooms, onion, and garlic.Once the onions are soft, add the meat back into the pan. Whisk the eggs. Add the cottage cheese and scrambled eggs to the meat mixture.
Carefully spoon the meat mixture into the cooked shells and place in a 9x13. I generally have to use 2 pans, a 9x13 and a smaller casserole pan as well to accommodate all of the shells. Preheat the oven to 350F.
Now, I like to make my own pasta sauce. I have found that I don't like a pre-made pasta sauce. It's too sweet. I make mine by taking 16 oz of tomato sauce and add garlic powder, salt, pepper, red crushed pepper and olive oil to my tasting. Super nommers!
So at this point, you have the shells filled. Evenly spread the pasta sauce over the shells. Put them in the oven for about 15-20 minutes. Once they are done, sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top.
Here's the nutritional information minus the vegetables of course:
Serving size: 4 Shells
Calories: 340
Total Carbohydrate: 30 g
Protein: 23 g
Bon Apetit!
