I distinctly remember stuffed shells from my childhood. I don't know why for sure, I don't remember having them often but maybe it's because my mom's were so delicious! Last time I was at the grocery, I bought a box of the jumbo shells and decided to make up my own recipe. For some reason I thought making the dish would be so tedious, like lasagna, but it's just the opposite. This will definitely be a go-to dish for the future, although next time I think I'm going to double the recipe and freeze half of them :)
What you need:
8-10 jumbo pasta shells3 cups marinara sauce (either homemade or store bought work just fine)
2 cups low-fat cottage cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup green pepper, diced
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup eggplant, diced
5-10 leaves fresh basil, chopped
1/2 cup shredded cheese (your pick)
salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes
What you do:
1. Prepare the pasta shells according to the directions. Strain water and set aside.
2. Saute the eggplant, garlic, green pepper and onion on medium heat until tender. Turn off heat and mix in the cottage cheese.
3. In a glass baking dish, pour a thin layer of the sauce.
4. Stuff your shells by spooning the mixture into the opening and then forcing them to close a bit.
5. Repeat until all the shells have been filled.
7. Sprinkle on your cheese and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until sauce bubbles and cheese is melted.