I decided to switch up my dinner tonight with a hearty meal featuring “Zesty Tex Mex Stuffed Shells”. This dish is when Italian meets Mexican as the bean and corn mixture fill the jumbo pasta shells before topping the dish with zesty pasta sauce and cheese.
Just when you thought the gooey and savory dish could not get any better; I upped the flavor profile by adding sliced avocado to the stuffed shells after they have been removed from the oven. The combination of ricotta cheese, black beans and rich tomato sauce with the creamy slices of Avocado balance perfectly.
What I really enjoy about this dish is that the filling options are limitless. This version is vegetarian utilizing beans for the protein source however ground chick, beef or turkey can be incorporated into the mixture.
Using the InstaPot to make this dinner helped cut my meal preparation in half the normal time. The biggest step omitted was actually cooking the shells separately in boiling water which is the traditional way of pasta making. The InstaPot is a wonderful invention for working women who enjoy cooking but are faced with time constraints. This unique kitchen gadget utilizes liquid, steam and pressure for even cooking of ingredients in record time.
Ingredients
- Zesty Sauce
Instructions
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In a large bowl, mix together ricotta cheese, black beans, corn, 1/2 of mozzarella cheese, salt, black pepper and paprika until well combined.
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Spoon the filling into the uncooked jumbo shells evenly.
To Make Zesty Sauce
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Turn the InstaPot on Saute setting and add Olive oil, onion, garlic and habanero pepper, cooking until translucent in color.
- Pour the can of pasta sauce into the InstaPot and stir well to combine to scrape the bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Remove half of the sauce and set aside.
- Press the cancel button to stop the Saute function on the InstaPot. To Make the Stuffed Shells
- Add 1 cup of water to the sauce remaining in the InstaPot and mix well. Layer the bottom of the InstaPot with half of the shells in the upright position, placing them directly onto the sauce.
- Add a second layer of the stuffed shells into the InstaPot and make sure they face upright. Cover the shells completely with the remaining zesty sauce.
- Place the lid on the InstaPot and lock tightly.
- Press the MANUAL setting on the InstaPot and set the time for 8 minutes. Be sure to close the steam valve.
- Once the timer is completed, carefully release the steam by opening the valve and finally removing the lid.
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Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese on top of the stuffed shells. Place the lid back on the InstaPot and let stand until the cheese melts ~2-3 minutes.
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Remove the lid and serve the stuffed shells into a serving dish. Top with sliced Avocado and Enjoy!!
Notes
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 6 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 670 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 26.6g | 34% |
| Saturated Fat 7.7g | 39% |
| Cholesterol 25mg | 8% |
| Sodium 623mg | 27% |
| Total Carbohydrate 87.9g | 32% |
| Dietary Fiber 20.5g | 73% |
| Total Sugars 19.8g | |
| Protein 29g | |
| Vitamin D 0mcg | 0% |
| Calcium 262mg | 20% |
| Iron 8mg | 43% |
| Potassium 1957mg | 42% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
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