Stuffed Pasta Shells

Easy Stuffed Pasta Shell Dinner for 2

The Basic Ingredients:
14 large pasta shells
1/2 small container of cottage cheese
1/2 bag of shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 jar of spaghetti sauce
1 egg
Garlic and seasonings, to taste

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I'll be honest here.  I thought stuffed pasta shells were beyond my abilities.  Did I seriously think I could do it in an hour?  Well, turns out, it takes about an hour and ten minutes, which isn't bad when I'm craving Olive Garden but not willing to drive there and then pay the price...in dollars, time, fat, and calories.

So, my recipe is technically enough for 3 - 4 servings.  We each ate 4 - 5 shells for dinner and then I packed 4 shells for lunch...  The recipe is basically taking half of everything -- half of the box of shells, half of the spaghetti sauce, half of the cottage cheese, half of the cheese.  So, I'll be honest, it's real easy to double.  :)

Also, just for fun, I used a 8x4 pyrex dish to bake this.  It ended up being the perfect size for this recipe.

The Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.  Cook pasta according to directions.  When they are done, drain well and then run under cold water to stop the cooking process.  This also cools them for handling.  Lay on a paper towel to wick away extra water.

In a bowl, combine cottage cheese, half of cheese, egg, and seasonings.  Mix well.

Pour about 1/2 cup of spaghetti sauce into a baking dish and lightly coat the bottom.

Fill each shell with the cheese mixture and place in baking dish.  (For my shells, it was about a regular eating spoon's worth per shell).


Top with spaghetti sauce and cheese.  Bake for approximately 40 minutes.

Variations and Tips

• Not a fan of Cottage Cheese? Use Ricotta cheese instead of cottage cheese.  Add Parmesan cheese to the cheese mixture instead of or in addition to the mozzarella.
• Need the meat? Use a meat sauce or brown up sausage or beef and mix into your cheese mixture.
• Need more veggies?  Add frozen spinach...thaw and drain well, then add to cheese mixture.  Or use a chunky vegetable spaghetti sauce.
• Serve with a salad and bread sticks or garlic bread to complete your Olive Garden Experience at home.

Got your own Stuffed Pasta Recipe? Comment!