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High-Protein Pumpkin Stuffed Shells

Jumbo shells stuffed with a seasoned ground chicken, spinach, and cottage cheese filling, baked in a creamy pumpkin-marinara sauce under a blanket of melty mozzarella. Cozy fall comfort food with serious protein.
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Ingredients
  

  • 32 jumbo pasta shells
  • 1 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 pounds ground chicken thigh or 93% lean
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoons salt for chicken
  • 5 ounces fresh spinach
  • 2 cups cottage cheese 2% or 4%
  • 1 cups part-skim ricotta
  • 0.5 cups grated Parmesan for filling
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ teaspoon salt for filling
  • ½ teaspoons black pepper
  • 15 ounces pumpkin purée not pie filling
  • 2 cups marinara sauce simple, low-sugar
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • ⅔ cups grated Parmesan for sauce
  • ½ teaspoons salt for sauce
  • 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 400°F and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
  • Boil the shells: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook jumbo pasta shells 1–8 minutes
  • less than the package directions so they're al dente and hold their shape. Drain, rinse with cool water, and toss with a little of the 1 tablespoons olive oil so they don't stick.
  • Brown the chicken: Heat the rest of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 pounds ground chicken (thigh or 93% lean) and let it sear undisturbed for 2–10 minutes
  • to get real browning, then add 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoons garlic powder, and 1 teaspoons salt (for chicken). Break into small crumbles and cook until no pink remains. Work in two batches if your skillet is crowded, so the chicken browns instead of steaming.
  • Wilt the spinach: Add 5 ounces fresh spinach to the skillet with the chicken and stir just until wilted. Transfer to a large bowl, let cool slightly, and pour off any liquid that collects so the filling isn't watery.
  • Make the filling: Blend 2 cups cottage cheese (2% or 4%) until completely smooth. Add it to the chicken and spinach along with 1 cup part-skim ricotta, 0.5 cups grated Parmesan (for filling), 1 large egg, salt (for filling), and black pepper. Mix well, then taste and add a pinch more salt if needed.
  • Make the pumpkin-marinara sauce: Whisk together 15 ounces pumpkin purée (not pie filling), marinara sauce (simple, low-sugar), milk, garlic cloves, minced,Parmesan (for sauce), and salt (for sauce) until smooth and creamy. If it's too thick to spoon easily, add another splash of milk.
  • Assemble: Spread about 1 cup of sauce over the bottom of the baking dish. Stuff each shell generously with filling (about 3 tablespoons) and nestle them snugly in a single layer, open-side up. Dollop any leftover filling into the gaps between shells. Spoon the remaining sauce over and around the shells.
  • Bake covered: Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake until the sauce is bubbling around the edges.
  • Add cheese and finish: Remove the foil, sprinkle 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella over the top, and bake uncovered until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and starting to brown.
  • Rest and serve: Let the shells rest for 10 minutes