Italian Stuffed Shells
When you need some old school traditional cooking, look no further. These Italian Stuffed Shells are the trick to please any family of any size. With delicious mushrooms, ground beef and all the best Italian seasonings, this easy pasta recipe is takes a bit of assembling, but worth the work for the final product. This recipe is diabetic friendly and has tons of nutrition for a well-balanced meal. This is perfect for any weeknight dinner or a special family dinner.
Notes
Serves6
Ingredients
- 12 jumbo shells (uncooked)
- 12 ounce 95 percent lean ground beef
- 14 1/2 ounce no-salt-added tomatoes, undrained (for sauce)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/2 cup chopped fresh mushrooms (4 ounces)
- 1 cup chopped onion (1 large)
- 1/2 cup shredded carrot (1 medium)
- 1/4 cup chopped celery
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, crushed
- 1 cup shredded reduced-fat Italian blend cheese (2 ounces)
- 1 medium tomato, chopped
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
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Cook Pasta about 9 minutes. It will seem too firm to eat, but it will finish cooking in the oven and soften up. When the pasta is finished, make sure to drain it, then rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Set pasta aside.
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In medium skillet, brown the beef for several minutes, using wooden spoon. Drain fat when meat is finished and set aside.
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Wash the skillet used for the meat, then add oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms, onion, garlic, celery, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Cook for 6-8 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently.
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Add canned tomatoes and liquid and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat.
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Put the tomato mixture into a blender and blend/process until it reaches the desired sauce texture. (Slightly chunky recommended: don’t process until it’s completely smooth.)
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Pour ¾ cup of the sauce into a vessel and set it aside.
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Pour the remaining sauce back into the skillet, add the meat, and stir until combined.
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Using a Tablespoon measuring spoon, stuff each Jumbo shell, placing every one into the baking dish which you have precoated with nonstick cooking spray. Spoon a little of the ¾ sauce remainder over each shell.
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Cover with tin foil or baking dish cover, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle cheese evenly over each shell, then bake for 5 more minutes or until the cheese has melted.
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Serve and enjoy immediately!