a healthy stuffed shells dish...

This photo belogs to Whole Living.

This dish came from Whole Living and the comment by the recipe states "Part skim ricotta keeps calories at bay; spinach and bulgur deliver antioxidants and fiber.  The complex carbs in pasta boost serotonin , the mood-stabilizing neurochemical." Why, then, I ask, did my husband almost freak out over this delicious, healthy comfort food dish?  I can tell you...
When I cook healthy meals, Brian gets what I would call "uptight". He makes comments like, "This tastes earthy." or "I taste dirt." or "This dish is very grainy." and his looks are very humorous. My response to all of his statements is "Yes! That is true as we are eating more plants and trees instead of opening cans!"
Know I am going to continue to work to help him lose a few pounds and lower his cholesterol levels, which his doctor suggested, even though mine is higher than his, and I shall not be influenced by his statements. ( By the way, I loved this dinner and I miss Nick as he would have thought it was delicious!)

Ingredients

Serves 6 to 8.
1 28-oz. can whole tomatoes
1 15-oz. can of tomato sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Coarse salt and ground black pepper
1/2 cup bulgur (cook according to directions)
25 jumbo pasta shells
1 pound bunch spinach, stems removed
1 15-oz. container part-skim ricotta
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

1.Break up tomatoes.

2.Heat oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until tender, about 7 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce and cook, stirring until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool.

3.Heat oven to 350 degrees and cook bulgur.
4.Cook shells in a large pot of salted boiling water. Drain and let cool.

5.Saute spinach over medium heat until tender,coarsely chop, and add to bulgur. Stir in ricotta. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in egg.

6.Coat bottom of a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish with 1 cup sauce. Spoon filling into shells and arrange in pan. Add remaining sauce, cover with foil, and bake until bubbling, about 40 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan before serving.

(P.S. I added 1 cup of bulgur so the dish from that grain alone had 28 grams of fiber, 20 grams of protein, no cholesterol, 2 grams of fat and only 20 milligrams of sodium.)