READY IN 30 mins

Salad Stuffed Shells

Read Reviews (8)

"A really different way to present pasta salad OR your favorite recipe for tuna and chicken salad! A really creative finger food that will impress your guests at picnics, BBQs, and showers! I served this on a bed of lettuce garnished with green and black olives." — Micki

Directions

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta shells in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water until chilled.
Combine salami, romaine lettuce, roma tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion in a large bowl; pour balsamic vinaigrette dressing over salad and toss to coat. Stuff pasta shells with lettuce mixture and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 20 mins
COOK 10 mins
READY IN 30 mins

Footnotes

Cook's Notes:
I do not recommend making this the day before as the lettuce will wilt. But you can chop everything up the night before, keeping the lettuce separate. I also found that the shells were easier to stuff when they were cold.

Reviews More Reviews

May 21, 2012

To reduce the fat even more, I use turkey pepperoni, and substitute fresh baby spinach leaves rather than the romaine. I'll also chopped up some water chestnuts to add a little crunch. Red wine vinegar with just a little olive oil also reduced the sodium that store-bought vinaigrettes might have :)

—SueAnn

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Jan 01, 2013

This rating is based mainly on the idea and presentation. Made this last night for appetizers served on deviled egg trays. I had a total of 44 large shells. The fillings I used were chicken salad, tuna salad, ham salad and a variation of the salad ingredients listed. This turned out beautiful! Was enjoyed by everyone and there were no leftovers. A keeper for sure. Thanks, Micki, for sharing a delicious, new idea!! Will be using this many times in the future.

—misty

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11 Ratings

Dec 16, 2012

Great idea! A fun and delicious way to serve salad. Serve in a deviled egg tray for a nice presentation.

—mmyers168

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Dec 18, 2012

This is a great appetizer for the office parties when everyone is on a diet. I use reduced calorie ranch and spinach chopped with the romaine. You can use almost any colorful veggie, ie, green and red peppers, carrots, small pieces of brocolli and even red cabbage. This always gets oooohhh and ahhhs.

—Catty

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Dec 18, 2012

Okay, a qualifier: I did not actually try the salad recipe, but the idea of using large shells as the vehicle for any salad is ingenious! I can't believe I have never seen this before. I have a tuna/pasta salad recipe that I plan on serving using this idea rather than mixing the pasta with the salad. The only change I would make is to boil the pasta in highly salted water {salty like the sea}.

—hunnylover

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Jan 31, 2013

I made this for a gathering, and it was a hit! I used 1/2 of a grape tomato on top , which made for a lovely presentation.

—sunny

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Jan 14, 2013

Not too shabby! Was definitely a hit at my workplace's holiday party. I nixed the meat to make it vegetarian friendly. I also nixed the dressing and instead brought a few different dressings for people to choose from. It worked really well because the shells would catch any seeping dressing and people appreciated having the choice. The onion was a little overpowering, but overall, what a fun way to present! OH, I highly recommend using a deviled egg tray like in the photo...otherwise, it can be a little difficult to present.

—BWizMays

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Jan 06, 2013

Omg !!!!!! I served these shells for Christmas everyone loved them ..... and i did add some of indredient.

—ms.cookinvigirl

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Nutrition

Calories
312 kcal
16%

Carbohydrates
30.7 g
10%

Cholesterol
32 mg
11%

Fat
14.7 g
23%

Fiber
2.1 g
9%

Protein
14.3 g
29%

Sodium
819 mg
33%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Salad Stuffed Shells

Serving Size: 1/9 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 9
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 312
Calories from Fat: 132

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 14.7g 23 %
Saturated Fat 4.8g 24 %
Cholesterol 32mg 11 %
Sodium 819mg 33 %
** Potassium 324mg 9 %
Total Carbohydrates 30.7g 10 %
Dietary Fiber 2.1g 9 %
Protein 14.3g 29 %
** Sugars 2.7g
** Vitamin A 34 %
** Vitamin C 16 %
** Calcium 17 %
** Iron 19 %
** Thiamin 19 %
** Niacin 50 %
** Vitamin B6 15 %
** Magnesium 12 %
** Folate 67 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.