Easy stuffed shell recipe and will freeze well.
- Carbohydrate 54.4236626806954 g
- Cholesterol 335.8867710955 mg
- Fat 27.1848023535725 g
- Fiber 3.15487497950792 g
- Protein 45.9698706184775 g
- Saturated Fat 11.1866545347988 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (383g)
- Sodium 1295.7640568815 mg
- Sugar 51.2687877011874 g
- Trans Fat 5.00470698406875 g
- Calories 644 calories
Step-by-step
- Brown the hamburger and add in the spaghetti mix, tomato paste and the 3 cans of water.
- Let simmer for 15 - 20 minutes.
- While this is simmering, boil the shells in a large pot of water as directed on the box.
- Mix together the cottage cheese, mozzerella cheese, eggs,parsley, parmesan and salt and pepper.
- Drain the cooked shells and fill them with the cheese mixture.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- In a 9 X 13 inch pan spread 1/2 of the hamburger sauce.
- Lay the shells over the sauce.
- Cover the shells with the remaining hamburger mixture.
- Cover your pan with foil and bake for 35 minutes.
- Remove from oven and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
- This recipe will freeze easily and makes great leftovers.
A printed ingredient list cannot describe how tomato paste behaves when reduced alongside ground meat. Raw paste tastes metallic and sharp. Simmering it for fifteen minutes in water transforms that rawness into a deep, caramelized base note. Fresh herbs like chopped flat-leaf parsley release volatile oils instantly upon cutting, whereas dried flakes require heat and time to hydrate. Cottage cheese carries high moisture content, which can make the filling watery if not balanced correctly. Mixing whole eggs directly into the dairy binds the protein matrix during baking so the stuffing holds its shape inside each pasta cavity. Boil the jumbo shells until they reach al dente firmness, exactly two minutes shy of package directions, because they continue cooking under the meat sauce in the oven. Drain them thoroughly in a colander and rinse briefly with cool water to halt residual thermal carryover. Spread half the warm meat sauce across the bottom of a standard 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish to prevent the pasta bottoms from sticking. Arrange the stuffed shells tightly in a single layer. Seal the dish completely with heavy-duty aluminum foil to trap steam, then bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 minutes until the mozzarella melts and bubbles at the edges. For optimal texture, serve this rich pasta dish alongside a crisp arugula salad dressed simply with lemon juice and olive oil to cut through the heavy dairy and meat fats. Leftovers retain quality in the freezer for up to three months when wrapped tightly in plastic wrap beneath the foil layer.
