Meatless Monday

Feeling some Italian tonight?  Having a vegetarian pasta dish will cut down on the saturated fat content without having to sacrifice rich flavor.  This Baked Pasta Shells recipe uses reduced fat version of Ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheeses in place of meat, which adds to the protein content- serving packs 29 grams! In addition to being a good source of protein, cheese is a good source of calcium and the amino acid tryptophan. We all know the importance of calcium for building and maintaining bone mass, but calcium is also important for blood pressure and plays a role in nerve conduction and  muscle contraction (1). Additionally, a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition not only shows a diet rich in calcium, which is supplied by low-fat cheese, is associated with fat loss (2).

Baked Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Pasta Shells

Serves 4

Tip: Use a cup of thawed frozen spinach instead of fresh to save on time-- just be sure to squeeze it well to remove any excess water. Serve with fresh salad to complete the meal!

Ingredients

16 jumbo pasta shells
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 pound baby spinach
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 pound part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 pound part-skim mozzarella cheese, grated
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon chopped basil
1 1/2 cups marinara sauce
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Method

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta shells and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain well then toss with oil in a large bowl; set aside.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Put spinach into a large skillet and drizzle with a tablespoon or two of water. Cover and cook over medium low heat, tossing occasionally, until just wilted; drain well. When cool enough to handle, squeeze to remove any excess water. Chop spinach and transfer to a large bowl. Add garlic, ricotta, mozzarella, egg and basil to make the filling.

Spread a few spoonfuls of marinara sauce in the bottom of a shallow baking dish large enough to hold the shells in a single layer. Fill each shell with spinach mixture and arrange in the dish. Pour remaining sauce over and around the stuffed shells and top with Parmigiano Reggiano. Cover with foil and bake until hot throughout, 20 to 30 minutes, then uncover and continue baking until golden brown, about 10 minutes more.

Nutrition

Per serving: 450 calories, 22g total fat, 10g saturated fat, 110mg cholesterol, 1060mg sodium, 36g total carbohydrate (4g dietary fiber, 5g sugar), 29g protein

*Recipe taken from Whole Foods

1) Hajjar IM, Grim CE, Kotchen TA. Dietary calcium lowers the age-related rise in blood pressure in the United States: the NHANES III survey. J Clin Hypertens 2003 Mar-2003 Apr 30; 5(2):122-6 2003.

2) Gunther CW, Lyle RM, Legowski PA, James JM, McCabe LD, McCabe GP, Peacock M, Teegarden D. Fat oxidation and its relation to serum parathyroid hormone in young women enrolled in a 1-y dairy calcium intervention. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Dec;82(6):1228-34. 2005.