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Baked Shells with Spinach and Prosciutto

This is a fantastic addition to a buffet or pot luck. The filling and Vodka Sauce are Gluten free, but we have been unsuccessful finding large GF pasta shells locally.  Amazon does sell "Tinkyada GF" large shells, with nearly the same CHO.

Our local Italian Market carries Rao’s Pasta Sauces. It really does make a difference to use a good quality Vodka Sauce. Rao’s is a famous restaurant in East Harlem, NY; an Italian neighborhood. With 4 assigned tables and 6 booths, it’s one of the most difficult restaurants to get into. You either get invited by “someone” on their appointed night or they can “give” their table to you for a night.

Course Appetizer
Cuisine Italian
Keyword Prosciutto, Rao's, Shells, Spinach

Ingredients

35 jumbo pasta shells (41 CHO/56 gr dry) 197.67 CHO

TOTAL CHO 197.67 CHO

  • 197.67 DIVIDED BY 35 SHELLS = 5.64 CHO EACH

Stuffing

  • 6 cups (82 gr) baby spinach 1.5 CHO
  • 1 tsp. olive oil 0 CHO
  • ¼ cup (30 gr) red onion diced 2.5 CHO
  • 3 oz (6 -7 slices – 90 gr) prosciutto, diced 0 CHO
  • 1 ½ cup (115 gr) grated cheese Havarti, Cheddar or Gouda 0 CHO
  • ½ cup (43 gr) grated parmesan cheese 0 CHO
  • 1 cup (250 gr) cottage cheese 12 CHO
  • 1 egg beaten 0 CHO
  • 1 TBSP fresh chopped basil or 1 tsp. dried 0 CHO
  • ¼ tsp. pepper 0 CHO

TOTAL CHO 16 CHO

  • TOTAL WEIGHT 594 GRAMS
  • 16 CHO DIVIDED BY 594 GRAMS = .026 CHO/GRAM
  • 1 TBSP FILLING = 17 GRAMS ((.026 6CHO x 17 GRAMS) .442 CHO/TBSP
  • EACH SHELL = (.442 CHO + 5.64 CHO) = 6.08 CHO/STUFFED SHELL

Sauce

  • 2.9 cups 680 ml Rao’s Vodka Spaghetti Sauce (3 CHO/1/2 cup/125 ml)

TOTAL CHO 16.32 CHO

  • 16.32 CHO DIVIDED BY 680 ML/GR = .024 CHO/GRAM
  • 1 TBSP sauce = 16 grams (.024 CHO x 16 GRAMS) .384 CHO/TBSP

Instructions

  1. Pre Heat oven to 350, unless baking the next day.
  2. In large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 8 minutes, until tender but firm. (Resist cooking for longer.) In a sieve, run shells under cold water until shells are cold. Set aside, cut side down on a towel.
  3. In another pot, bring salted water to a boil and cook spinach for about 2 minutes, until wilted. Drain well and run under cold water until cool enough to squeeze out most of the liquid. Chop spinach and set aside.
  4. Meanwhile in a skillet, heat oil and gently sauté onion for 3 – 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in spinach, chopped prosciutto, grated cheese of your choice, cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, beaten egg, basil and pepper.
  5. Spread 1 cup of Tomato Sauce in a large oven proof baking dish. (You may require 2 dishes, if so, spread 1 cup of sauce in each dish).
  6. Spoon 1 TBSP (17 gr) filling into each shell and arrange in single layer in baking dish. Spoon remaining sauce around shells and drizzle tops of shells with a little sauce. Cover with tin foil and bake for 30 minutes.

  7. Cover with tin foil and refrigerate if baking the next day.  Bake for 45 minutes.