Hearty Chickpea and Ricotta Stuffed Shells
Tender jumbo pasta shells filled with a creamy chickpea and ricotta mixture, baked in a rich homemade tomato sauce, topped with mozzarella and Romano cheese for a comforting and wholesome meal.
Ingredients
olive oil
minced garlic
crushed tomatoes
water
dried basil leaves
salt (for sauce)
chickpeas, drained and rinsed
egg whites
onion, finely chopped
fat-free ricotta cheese
loosely packed parsley leaves, chopped
grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
ground nutmeg
salt (for filling)
jumbo-size pasta shells
shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Cook the jumbo pasta shells in salted boiling water until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool slightly.
- Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add minced garlic to the onions and cook for an additional 1 minute until fragrant. Remove from heat.
- In a food processor or blender, combine the drained chickpeas, sautéed onion and garlic, ricotta cheese, parsley, Romano cheese, egg whites, ground nutmeg, and salt. Blend until smooth and well combined.
- In a large saucepan, combine crushed tomatoes, water, dried basil, and 0.25 tsp salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce heat to low and cook gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Spread about 1 cup of the tomato sauce evenly in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Stuff each cooked pasta shell with the chickpea and ricotta filling and arrange them in the baking dish on top of the sauce.
- Pour the remaining tomato sauce over the stuffed shells, making sure they're well covered.
- Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the top.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Let the stuffed shells rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with extra parsley if desired.
