Vegetable-filled Shells With Tomato Sauce

Total Time: 2 hrs Preparation Time: 1 hr 15 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 8 ounces zucchini, shredded
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 18 large shell pasta
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups chopped broccoli (1/4 inch pieces)
• 1 cup chopped mushroom
• 1/2 cup chopped carrot
• 1/4 cup chopped scallion
• salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaf
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 cups fresh tomato sauce (quick chunky tomato sauce)

Recipe

• 1 toss the zucchini with salt; transfer to a colander set over a bowl.
• 2 place a saucer on top of the zucchini and weight with something heavy; let stand 30 minutes.
• 3 rinse with cool water; drain and squeeze dry; blot with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
• 4 cook pasta shells in lots of boiling salted water until barely cooked, about 7 minutes.
• 5 transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl of cool water; let stand until ready to use.
• 6 melt butter in a skillet; add in zucchini, broccoli, mushrooms, carrot, and scallions; saute until veggies are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper.
• 7 in a big bowl, combine the ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, egg, basil, and parmesan cheese; add in the vegetables; stir to combine.
• 8 preheat oven to 350°; lightly butter a 13x9 inch baking dish.
• 9 drain the shells; carefully invert on paper towels to blot dry.
• 10 fill shells with the stuffing mixture, distributing evenly.
• 11 arrange shells in prepared dish; cover with foil and bake 30 minutes.
• 12 uncover and sprinkle each shell with some of the remaining mozzarella; bake uncovered, 15 minutes, or until cheese is browned and bubbly.
• 13 serve the stuffed shells with some of the tomato sauce spooned over each serving.