Chickpea Stuffed Shells

By Niecer

"This pasta dish receives raves from my husband, young son and daughter and dinner guests, too. No one can guess my secret ingredient is nutritious legumes!"
Nutritional Analysis: One serving (3 stuffed shells) equals 508 calories, 19 g fat (9 g saturated fat), 42 mg cholesterol, 1,066 mg sodium, 58 g carbohydrate, 8 g fiber, 27 g protein.

Ingredients

• 18 uncooked jumbo pasta shells
• 1 can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 2 egg whites
• 1 carton (15 ounces) reduced-fat ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 small onion, quartered
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 jar (28 ounces) meatless spaghetti sauce, divided
• 1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preparation

Step 1

Directions

Cook pasta shells according to package directions. Meanwhile, place the chickpeas and egg whites in a food processor; cover and process until smooth. Add the ricotta, parsley, Parmesan, onion and garlic; cover and process until well blended. Pour 1-1/4 cups of spaghetti sauce into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish; set aside.
Drain pasta shells; stuff with chickpea mixture. Place over sauce. Drizzle with remaining sauce. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly. Yield: 6 servings.