3-Cheese Stuffed Shells

Ingredients:
Sauce

• 3 cups chopped tomatoes
• 12 oz roasted red bell peppers (packed in water), drained, patted dry and roughly chopped
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 packed cup whole parsley sprigs, roughly chopped

Shells

• 4 ears corn, husked
• olive oil cooking spray
• 30 large whole-grain pasta shells (or 12 whole-wheat lasagna noodles)
• 1 1/2 cups low-fat ricotta cheese
• 3 oz goat cheese
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley leaves or chives, plus additional for garnish
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 3 oz part-skim mozzarella cheese, grated

Instructions:



ONE: Prepare sauce: In a medium saucepan, combine tomatoes, roasted peppers, rosemary, oregano, red pepper flakes and black pepper. Bring to a simmer on medium-high heat, then reduce to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a blender and add parsley. Remove plastic center from blender lid to allow steam to escape, hold a kitchen towel loosely over the opening and purée. (NOTE: Exercise caution when blending hot liquids.)
TWO: Prepare shells: Preheat broiler. Mist corn with cooking spray and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil 8 to 10 inches from heat until light golden brown on all sides, turning as needed, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit until cool enough to handle. Carefully remove kernels: Hold corn upright on a cutting board and use a chef's knife to cut off kernels, starting at the top of the cob and carefully sliding knife downward. Transfer kernels to a bowl.
THREE: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, prepare pasta shells according to package directions, cooking until just al dente. Drain thoroughly. In a large bowl, combine ricotta, goat cheese, mint, parsley, egg and half of corn (about 1 1/2 cups). Season with black pepper.
FOUR: Spread 1 cup sauce on the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Fill each of 24 pasta shells (6 additional were cooked to allow for damaged shells) with about 1 rounded tbsp ricotta mixture and place in baking dish, stuffed side up. Cover shells with remaining sauce, remaining corn and mozzarella. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until sauce is bubbling. Let cool for 10 minutes, garnish with additional parsley and serve.

OPTION: If you can't find large whole-grain pasta shells, you can transform this recipe into roll-ups using whole-wheat lasagna noodles! Cook 12 noodles to al dente, top with 1/4 cup ricotta mixture, roll up and place in baking dish, seam side down. Proceed with recipe. Serves 6; 2 roll-ups per person.




**Nutrients per 3 shells: Calories 429, Total Fat 8g, Carbs 69g, Fiber 6g, Sugars 9g, Protein 18.5g