I enjoyed the meal - the flavors were spot on in my opinion. However, I give the recipe a 3 stars because I found it far too watery for my tastes. I think next time I will use either a jarred sauce or drain the canned tomatoes prior to making the recipes sauce.
Four-Cheese Stuffed Shells with Smoky Marinara
This dish goes straight from the freezer to oven - no thawing required. The fire-roasted tomatoes in the marinara sauce give the dish a subtle smoky flavor. You can also easily vary the filling by adding basil or oregano and a different cheese. (We tried fontina instead of mozzarella and threw in some arugula for a peppery bite.) Make some garlic bread and a green salad and dinner's on.
Yield: 2 casseroles, 5 servings per dish (serving size: about 4 stuffed shells and about 1/2 cup smoky marinara)
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Nutritional Information
Amount per serving
- Calories: 470
- Calories from fat: 30%
- Fat: 15.7g
- Saturated fat: 8.8g
- Monounsaturated fat: 4.7g
- Polyunsaturated fat: 0.9g
- Protein: 28.3g
- Carbohydrate: 52.7g
- Fiber: 5.3g
- Cholesterol: 47mg
- Iron: 3.8mg
- Sodium: 916mg
- Calcium: 508mg
Ingredients
- 1 pound jumbo shell pasta (40 shells)
- Cooking spray
- 1 (12-ounce) carton 1% low-fat cottage cheese
- 1 (15-ounce) carton ricotta cheese
- 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Asiago cheese
- 3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
- 6 cups Smoky Marinara
- 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
Preparation
- Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- Coat 2 (13 x 9-inch) baking dishes with cooking spray; set aside.
- Place cottage cheese and ricotta cheese in a food processor; process until smooth. Combine cottage cheese mixture, Asiago, and next 6 ingredients (Asiago through spinach).
- Spoon or pipe 1 tablespoon cheese mixture into each shell. Arrange half of stuffed shells, seam sides up, in one prepared dish. Pour 3 cups Smoky Marinara over stuffed shells. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup mozzarella. Repeat procedure with remaining stuffed shells, Smoky Marinara, and mozzarella in remaining prepared dish.
- Cover with foil. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
- To freeze unbaked casserole: Prepare through Step 5. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing to remove as much air as possible. Wrap with heavy-duty foil. Store in freezer for up to 2 months.
- To prepare frozen unbaked casserole: Preheat oven to 375º. Remove foil; reserve foil. Remove plastic wrap; discard wrap. Cover frozen casserole with reserved foil; bake at 375º for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until the shells are thoroughly heated.
Four-Cheese Stuffed Shells with Smoky Marinara Recipe at a Glance
- COURSE: Main Dishes
- CONVENIENCE: Entertaining, Freezable, Kid-Friendly, Make-Ahead
- CUISINE: New American
- MAIN INGREDIENT: Cheese, Pasta, Vegetables
- DIETARY CONSIDERATION: Meatless
- COOKING METHOD: Food Processor
- PUBLICATION: Cooking Light
More Recipes for Main Dishes
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Four-Cheese Stuffed Shells with Smoky Marinara
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Shrimp-Stuffed Shells
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