Stuffed Spinach Ricotta "Shells" with Roasted Eggplant

This is a really clever way to get around any pasta cravings if you are doing keto or low carb. In fact, I think I prefer this over regular stuffed shells. It’s that good. This recipe is inspired by both Maria Emmerich’s Protein Noodle Lasagna and Ina Garten’s Roasted Vegetable Lasagna. This is yet another really delicious dish (like the casserole I posted earlier) to make ahead of time and freeze.

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Stuffed Spinach Ricotta "Shells" with Roasted Eggplant

Ingredients

• 1 packet of oven roasted chicken breast slices (6 ounces) like this
• 1 cup of whole milk ricotta
• 8 ounces of creamy garlic and herb goat cheese (room temperature)
• 1 box of frozen chopped spinach (10 ounces, thawed)
• 1/2 cup of finely chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 tablespoon of smoked paprika
• 1/2 tablespoon of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 cup of grated parmesan cheese
• 3 cloves of finely chopped garlic
• 1 egg
• 8 ounce package of fresh pre-sliced mozzarella
• 1 medium eggplant
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 jar of your favorite tomato sauce (24 ounces)
• I prefer Rao’s Homemade sauces because of the low sugar content and clean ingredients—for this recipe, I used their vodka sauce.
• Salt and pepper

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.
2. Cut eggplant crosswise, into about 1/2 inch slices.
3. Spread eggplant on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Once oven is up to temperature, put in the eggplant for about 20 minutes, or until it looks nicely roasted and fork tender.
4. In a large bowl, combine ricotta, goat cheese, spinach, basil, smoked paprika, 3/4 cup of the grated parmesan cheese, and garlic. Add red pepper flakes if you prefer.
5. Taste the cheese mixture and decide if you want to add more red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Crack the egg into the cheese mixture and combine thoroughly.
7. Once the eggplant is finished roasting, remove from oven. Turn down oven to 350 degrees.
8. In a greased casserole dish, cover the bottom with a couple spoonfuls of sauce.
9. Take a slice of the chicken breast and add about two heaping tablespoons of the cheese mixture and roll up. Place the “shell” seam side down onto the sauce at the bottom of the dish. Continue until there is no more chicken left and the bottom layer is filled.
10. Add another couple of spoonfuls of sauce on top of the “shells”.
11. Add roasted eggplant slices so that it fills the entire dish as a new layer.
12. Add another couple of spoonfuls of sauce to the dish. Sprinkle remainder of the grated parmesan cheese.
13. Finish by adding slices of the mozzarella as the final layer. Stop here and freeze if you’re mealprepping and want to enjoy on another day.
14. Bake uncovered for about 40-50 minutes or until the stuffed “shells” are brown and bubbly.
15. Let cool before cutting into it. Enjoy! If you choose to freeze this dish, just put the stuffed “shells” out until it’s at room temperature before baking.