Sun Dried Tomato and Broccoli Unstuffed Shells

These Sun Dried Tomato and Broccoli Unstuffed Shells skip the tedious stuffing and go straight for flavor!

You’re looking at comfort food at it’s finest.

My family loves a good pasta dish, but my kids can be a little picky about all the goodies I mix it up with. I’ve made delicious variations on stuffed shells many times, only to have them scrape out all the goodness before devouring the shell. I’d find myself picking the vegetables off their plate, but it still felt a little wasteful.

Eventually I decided it was time to go unstuffed. What is an unstuffed shell you may ask? It’s an easy recipe for stuffed shells that skips all the stuffing and just mixes the pasta with the sauce and veggies. You’re left with perfectly cooked giant pasta shells, creamy sauce, and tons of flavorful veggies that can be easily picked around by little hands or piled on by me.

There are three basic steps to this recipe. The broccoli cooks with the pasta, the veggies get sautéed together, and the sauce whisks up in just a few minutes. Mix it all together, top with cheese and breadcrumbs, and you have a fancy/delicious dinner that you didn’t have to stand around stuffing by hand.

This recipe for sun dried tomato and broccoli unstuffed shells can be easily customized! Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Use a gluten-free pasta, gluten-free flour blend, and skip the breadcrumbs to make this gluten-free
• Swap the large shells for whatever shape you have on hand
• Add whatever leftover veggies you might have on hand such as cooked zucchini, spinach, or sweet potato cubes
• Add roasted chickpeas, diced cooked chicken, or peeled cooked shrimp for protein
• Swap the white sauce for your favorite pesto

If you make this recipe be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!

5 from 1 vote

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Sun Dried Tomato and Broccoli Unstuffed Shells

Prep Time

25 mins

Cook Time

40 mins

Total Time

1 hr 5 mins

 

An easy recipe for stuffed shells that skips the stuffing while mixing in sun dried tomatoes and broccoli.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 6

Calories: 654 kcal

Ingredients

• 16 ounces large shell pasta
• 1 head broccoli cut into florets
• 1 tablespoon oil from the sun dried tomato jar
• 1 small onion chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup sun dried tomato in oil drained
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese divided
• Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup Italian or mozzarella cheese
• 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Chopped freshly parsley optional

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Coat a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta 1-2 minutes less than called for in the package directions. Add the broccoli to the pasta water in the last two minutes of cooking. Drain and transfer back to the pot or a large bowl.
3. While the pasta is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon oil from the sun dried tomato jar in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add the sun dried tomatoes and balsamic vinegar, stirring until the vinegar is cooked off and the tomatoes are hot, about 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to the bowl with the pasta and broccoli.
4. Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk. Whisk in 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Cook, whisking, until thick, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the sauce to the bowl with the pasta and broccoli.
5. Stir the pasta together with the sauce and vegetables. Spread out in the prepared pan and top with mozzarella cheese.
6. In a small bowl, combine panko, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, and 1 tablespoon olive oil, stirring or mixing with clean fingers until fully combined. Sprinkle evenly over the mozzarella. Sprinkle to taste with salt and pepper.
7. Bake 20-25 minutes or until the top is beginning to brown and the edges are bubbly. Let rest 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley if desired.

Recipe Notes

A few ideas to customize your sun dried tomato and broccoli unstuffed shells:

• Use a gluten-free pasta, gluten-free flour blend, and skip the breadcrumbs to make this gluten-free
• Swap the large shells for whatever shape you have on hand
• Add whatever leftover veggies you might have on hand such as cooked zucchini, spinach, or sweet potato cubes
• Add roasted chickpeas, diced cooked chicken, or peeled cooked shrimp for protein
• Swap the white sauce for your favorite pesto

 

Nutrition Facts

Sun Dried Tomato and Broccoli Unstuffed Shells

Amount Per Serving

Calories 654 Calories from Fat 216

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 24g 37%

Saturated Fat 11g 55%

Cholesterol 50mg 17%

Sodium 522mg 22%

Potassium 843mg 24%

Total Carbohydrates 82g 27%

Dietary Fiber 6g 24%

Sugars 11g

Protein 27g 54%

Vitamin A 27%

Vitamin C 122.9%

Calcium 43.7%

Iron 15.6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.