Spinach-artichoke stuffed shells

Spinach-Artichoke Stuffed Shells

6
Points®
Total Time
45 min
Prep
15 min
Cook
30 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
Easy
All the flavor and creamy richness that you love in spinach-artichoke dip come together in a healthier way in these stuffed shells. Fresh spinach cooks with a good dose of garlic, and chopped artichoke hearts get folded in. Then, in place of cream cheese, we use pureed white beans to bind the mixture, along with a little bit of mozzarella. This filling goes into cooked jumbo pasta shells and gets topped with more mozzarella, which bubbles and browns as the shells bake atop marinara sauce. It’s a hearty vegetarian dinner that the whole family will love.

Ingredients

Cooking spray

5 spray(s)

Uncooked jumbo shells

12 shell(s), about 3 5/8 ounces

Garlic

3 large clove(s), minced

Baby spinach

6 oz

Canned artichoke hearts, drained

14 oz, drained and chopped

Kosher salt

¼ tsp

Black pepper

¼ tsp

Canned cannellini beans

15 oz, drained and rinsed

Part skim mozzarella cheese

3 oz, shredded and divided

No sugar added fat free marinara sauce

1½ cup(s)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
  2. Meanwhile, warm a large nonstick skillet over medium- high heat. Coat pan with nonstick spray. Add garlic; cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Add spinach; cook, tossing frequently, until spinach wilts, about 2 minutes. Stir in artichokes, salt, and black pepper. Remove pan from heat.
  3. In a food processor or mini food processor, process beans and 2 tbsp water until smooth. Add puréed beans and half of cheese to spinach mixture; stir well to combine.
  4. Lightly coat an 11 x 7–inch baking dish with nonstick spray. In bottom of dish, spread marinara. Into pasta shells, stuff spinach mixture (about 3 tbsp each). In prepared baking dish, arrange stuffed shells and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake until cheese melts and filling is thoroughly heated, about 20 minutes. Turn on broiler; broil until cheese lightly browns, 1 to 2 minutes.
  5. Serving size: 3 stuffed shells and about ⅓ cup sauce