Try this Stuffed Shells recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 3.48911018504749 g
- Cholesterol 32.565542181256 mg
- Fat 8.40884236798881 g
- Fiber 0.165599995613098 g
- Protein 13.2752414583871 g
- Saturated Fat 5.28664552553435 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (79g)
- Sodium 367.269197074824 mg
- Sugar 3.3235101894344 g
- Trans Fat 0.45214073062118 g
- Calories 143 calories
Step-by-step
- Cook shells according to package directions. Place in cold water to stop cooking. Drain.
- Mix together cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, eggs, and garlic powder. Rub the dried herbs in the palms of your hands to pulverize them, and stir into the cheese mixture. Stuff mixture into the shells.
- Spread 1/3 of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 15 x 10 inch pan. Place shells open side up, and close together in pan. Spread remaining sauce over top, and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
- Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 to 35 minutes, or until bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Swapping cottage cheese for ricotta alters the internal moisture balance significantly because cottage cheese retains a higher water content that releases during the bake. Boiling jumbo pasta shells requires constant monitoring of the pot because overcooking by even two minutes causes the delicate edges to tear when handled. Plunging the drained pasta into cold water arrests residual carryover cooking instantly and firms the exterior starch, making each shell manageable to stuff without ripping.
Rubbing dried oregano and parsley firmly between your palms before mixing pulverizes the botanical cell walls to release essential oils into the dairy blend. Skipping this friction leaves the herbs rigid and dull in taste. Packing the filling too loosely creates hollow pockets that trap steam and collapse the pasta structure during heating, whereas overfilling splits the seams before the baking dish ever enters the oven.
Spreading one third of the jarred spaghetti sauce across the bottom of a fifteen by ten inch baking pan prevents the undersides of the pasta from drying out and sticking to the glass. Arranging the filled pieces tightly against one another maintains their upright posture and prevents them from tipping over and spilling their contents while bubbling. Pouring the remaining sauce directly over the crowns ensures complete coverage so the exposed pasta tips never char or harden into unchewable points.
Baking the dish uncovered at three hundred fifty degrees Fahrenheit for twenty five to thirty five minutes allows excess moisture to evaporate while the mozzarella melts completely. Allowing the pan to rest undisturbed for ten minutes off the heat lets the internal proteins coagulate, yielding clean portions rather than a runny soup. Pair this rich casserole with a crisp, high-acidity green salad dressed in simple lemon vinaigrette to cut through the heavy dairy fats.
