This one is in my family's top 5 for sure! Our go-to comfort meal, when the house needs that incredible waft of sizzling garlic and cheese. MAKE THIS!!
Pre-heat oven to 350 F degrees. You will need a large pyrex or Corning type of pan for this baked pasta dish. Easy, simple and delicious...we just love it!
Make a tomato "marinara' sauce. Saute 5-6 large cloves of chopped garlic in olive oil until it is golden and smells awesome. Add some dried chili peppers and then 1 can of whole tomatoes that you can crush by hand, lots of salt, pepper and a bit of oregano. I also love rosemary in this sauce. Let this simmer.
Boil a package of pasta shells, the large ones, in heavily salted water ( always with pasta, so KEY.) Probably about 10min or so until al dente and drain in a colander with a bit of cold water so they don't totally stick together.
In the meantime, make this simple filling by mixing together:
1 large tub of cottage cheese
1 large tub of ricotta cheese
These can be low fat, work really well!
Add, 1 egg, about a 1/2 c. of grated parma cheese, salt and pepper
Chop some fresh spinach and lots of chopped fresh parsley and combine. Parsley is KEY!
Place some sauce at the bottom of the pan and also drizzle a bit of olive oil on top. Fill each shell with a large spoonful of the cheese mixture and place in the pan. Squeeze as many as you can in one layer...the more the better.
Top the dish with more tomato sauce, leftover mixture in dollops if you have, and parmesan cheese. Also grate lots of mozzarella on top.
Bake for about 45 min or until bubbly and golden on top.
This goes with family, a warm baguette of ciabatta bread and a big green salad!!
Enjoy!
Pre-heat oven to 350 F degrees. You will need a large pyrex or Corning type of pan for this baked pasta dish. Easy, simple and delicious...we just love it!
Make a tomato "marinara' sauce. Saute 5-6 large cloves of chopped garlic in olive oil until it is golden and smells awesome. Add some dried chili peppers and then 1 can of whole tomatoes that you can crush by hand, lots of salt, pepper and a bit of oregano. I also love rosemary in this sauce. Let this simmer.
Boil a package of pasta shells, the large ones, in heavily salted water ( always with pasta, so KEY.) Probably about 10min or so until al dente and drain in a colander with a bit of cold water so they don't totally stick together.
In the meantime, make this simple filling by mixing together:
1 large tub of cottage cheese
1 large tub of ricotta cheese
These can be low fat, work really well!
Add, 1 egg, about a 1/2 c. of grated parma cheese, salt and pepper
Chop some fresh spinach and lots of chopped fresh parsley and combine. Parsley is KEY!
Place some sauce at the bottom of the pan and also drizzle a bit of olive oil on top. Fill each shell with a large spoonful of the cheese mixture and place in the pan. Squeeze as many as you can in one layer...the more the better.
Top the dish with more tomato sauce, leftover mixture in dollops if you have, and parmesan cheese. Also grate lots of mozzarella on top.
Bake for about 45 min or until bubbly and golden on top.
This goes with family, a warm baguette of ciabatta bread and a big green salad!!
Enjoy!
