Spinach & Mushroom Stuffed Zucchini "Shells"

This is a take on a recipe I saw for those giant stuffed pasta shells that are so bad for us. I changed it a bit and made it low carb by stuffing zucchini "shells" instead of pasta.

Filling Recipe:
3-cups raw spinach
1-cup full fat ricotta cheese
1/2C-grated parmesan cheese
1-8oz bag 5 cheese Italian blend shredded cheese
1/4-cup shredded mozzerella (these 2 cheeses can be swapped or divided evenly, however you want, this is just what I had of each)
2-cups sliced mushrooms
1-Tbsp olive oil
1-clove garlic, minced

Other-
6 medium zucchini
1-cup Bella Vita Pasta Sauce (or whatever sauce you like)

First, slice the zucchini length wise, then cut each half into 3 even pieces. That will give you a total of 36 "shells". Then take a small spoon and scoop out the middles (basically the seeds and a small amount of the insides) of all the "shells". It is probably easier to do this step before you cut them into smaller pieces, I just did it the other way this time.

After you make the "shells", it is time to make the filling.

First, heat a large pot or skillet and add the olive oil & garlic. Let it saute for about 3 minutes. Then add the spinach and mushrooms and let cook until all the spinach is wilted and the mushrooms are soft. After it is cooked put in a large bowl and let it cool for about 5 minutes.

Next, add the ricotta cheese, about 1/4 of the parmesan cheese, the mozzerella, and about 1/2 of the 8oz bag of 5 cheese Italian blend. Mix all very well.

Next, stuff the "shells" with the mixture (it ended up being about 1tsp-1tbsp per shell, depending on the size of the shell), and place in a sprayed baking dish. I didn't use all the mixture, I had about 3/4 cup left that I threw away, but the counts are for the whole recipe.

Next, add some sauce to each one. I used a tsp and that pretty much covered each one. Then add the remaining shredded cheese, and sprinkle the top with the remaining parmesan. Place in a 350* oven until the cheese is brown and bubbling. It was about 10-15 minutes for mine.





Dinner-Had it with a smoked gouda slider:


The counts for the whole recipe are:
Calories:1,941 Fat:149g Carbs:51.9g Fiber:9.59g Net Carbs:42.31g

Counts for 9-4 piece servings (which is what I did, 4 were plenty as a side)
Calories:215.67 Fat:16.56g Carbs:5.77g Fiber:1.066g Net Carbs:4.70g

Counts for 6-6 piece servings
Calories:323.5 Fat:24.83g Carbs:8.65g Fiber:1.60g Net Carbs:7.05g