Some recipes become family favorites because they are fancy. Others become favorites because they are affordable, filling, easy to prepare, and taste great. This pasta dish checks all four boxes for us.
Our version is adapted from Pasta Shells with Ground Beef from Sweet Pea’s Kitchen. We follow the basic idea of the original recipe but make a few changes that better suit our family and the way we are trying to eat.
How We Make It Our Own
Instead of ground beef, we use ground turkey. It works well with the pasta and tomato sauce while making the dish a little lighter.
We also replace the packaged sazón seasoning with our own homemade salt-free blend. Packaged seasoning mixes can contain more sodium than expected, so making the seasoning ourselves gives us more control over what goes into the meal.
For the broth, we use Swanson Unsalted Chicken Broth instead of regular chicken broth. It adds moisture and flavor without the added salt commonly found in standard broths.
Combined with no-salt-added tomatoes and our homemade salt-free sazón, this substitution gives us much more control over the sodium in the finished dish. The total sodium will still depend on the other ingredients and serving size, so I always recommend checking each product label.
Finally, we replace regular Rotel with Rotel Original No Salt Added Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies. We still get the tomato and green-chile flavor without the added salt found in the regular version.
Our Homemade Salt-Free Sazón Blend
We combine:
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 1 tablespoon ground annatto seeds or turmeric
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
This makes a batch of seasoning. We use the amount needed for the dish in place of the packaged sazón and save the remainder for another meal.
A Family-Friendly Meal
Everyone in our family enjoys this recipe. It is inexpensive, satisfying, and flavorful without requiring complicated ingredients or techniques. The ground turkey, pasta shells, tomatoes, and homemade seasoning come together to make the kind of comforting meal that works well on a busy evening.
We use the ingredient amounts and cooking method from the original Sweet Pea’s Kitchen recipe, substituting ground turkey, our homemade sazón, and no-salt-added tomatoes.
A Note About Sodium
These substitutions help reduce the sodium, but they do not automatically make the entire meal low in sodium. The original recipe also calls for tomato broth, which can be significant sources of sodium.
Check the nutrition labels on every ingredient and use reduced-sodium or no-salt-added alternatives when available. The amount that is appropriate for you may depend on your personal dietary limits and the guidance you receive from your healthcare team.
Nutrition information will vary depending on the ingredients and brands used. My comments are based on personal experience and are not medical or nutritional advice. Credit for the original recipe and cooking directions belongs to Sweet Pea’s Kitchen.