Recipe of the Week 9/4/09

Cheesy Chicken Pasta Shells

Serves 4
Cooking time 50 minutes: 20 minutes prep, 30 minutes cooking
9 points each

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
  
• 3/4 cup Grated Part Skim Mozzarella
  
• 1 Tbsp Dried Oregano
• 1 Tbsp Dried Basil
  
• 1 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
  
• 3/4 cup Chopped Frozen Spinach
  
• 4 oz skinless chicken breast, cooked
  
• 1 3/4 cups low fat ricotta
  
• 2 egg whites, beaten
  
• 1 1/2 Cups no salt added tomato sauce
  
• 12 uncooked jumbo pasta shells
  

Directions

Preheat oven to 350ºF
Cook shells in boiling water according to the package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water to prevent them from cooking further. Set aside.
Coat a 9 x 13-inch pan with cooking spray. Spread 1/2 cup of sauce evenly over bottom of pan and set aside.
For filling, in a large bowl, stir together egg whites, ricotta cheese, chicken, spinach, garlic powder, oregano and basil. Stir in 1/4 cup each of mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.
To assemble, spoon cheese mixture into shells and place filled shells in a single layer in baking dish. Spread remaining sauce on top. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses and bake about 30 minutes. Yields 3 shells per serving.

Nutrition Facts

Nutritional Analysis per Serving (approximate)

Serving Size 3 shells

Calories 447

Total fat 15 g

Saturated fat 8 g

Protein 36 g

Carbohydrates 43 g

Fiber 4 g