Butternut Squash and Kale Stuffed Shells
This is a versatile pasta dish and could easily have chopped walnuts or crumbled bacon added to the filling for extra flavor and crunch. Also, frozen winter squash, which is usually already pureed could be used in place of the butternut squash to skip those steps.
Ingredients
- 1 large butternut squash enough to equal about 3 cups pureed
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion diced, about 1 cup
- 2 Tbsp minced garlic
- 10 ounces frozen chopped kale thawed
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 box jumbo pasta shells
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 Tbsp fresh sage chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Cut butternut squash in half and scoop out seeds. Place on a pan flesh side up and roast until fork tender, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool
- Meanwhile, put olive oil in a medium size pan and heat on medium high. Add garlic and onion and saute until onion begins to turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add kale, salt and pepper and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes until kale begins to wilt and softens. Set aside.
- Cook shells in a large pot of boiling water until al dente, about 9 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Once butternut squash is cool enough to handle, scoop out flesh into a blender or food processor. Add the eggs and puree.
- In a large bowl, combine the onion kale mixture, squash puree, Greek yogurt, Parmesan cheese and sage. Mix well.
- Lightly grease a 9x17 baking dish and a 8x8 baking dish. Spoon the mixture into each shell, being careful not to overstuff. Place in the dish and line them up in rows until both dishes are filled with stuffed shells.
- Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes, or until heated through and cheese is melted.
Notes
Simplify It: Frozen butternut squash is often already pureed. Use it in place of the fresh in the recipe to make the preparation faster.
Nutrition
Calories: 302kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 19gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 381mgFiber: 8gSugar: 4g
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