20May
Cheese-Stuffed Pasta Shells
Cheese-Stuffed Pasta Shells
Servings
6
servingsTotal time
50
minutesA tasty lunch for the whole family!
Ingredients
1/2 pack of large pasta shells
2 cartons of cottage cheese
2 cups of Mozzarella Chunk, grated
3 garlic cloves, crushed
Coarse black pepper, to taste
Salt to taste
- FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE
A little more than 1.5 cups of whole, peeled, canned tomatoes
2 tbs. olive oil
4-5 basil leaves
Coarse black pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste
1/3 cup Parmesan Chunk, grated
Directions
- For the tomato sauce: Place the tomatoes, olive oil, and basil leaves into a food processor, and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
- For the cheese filling: Place the cottage cheese, Mozzarella, and crushed garlic into a mixing bowl, and stir well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius, and grease a lined baking tray with a little bit of olive oil.
- Boil a big pot of water and cook the pasta shells for about 7 minutes, until they are al dente.
- Strain and coat with a little bit of olive oil so that the shells don’t stick to one another.
- Fill the shells with the cheese filling and place in a baking pan in one layer with the filling side facing down. Pour the tomato sauce over the shells, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese flakes.
- Bake in the oven until golden, for about 20 minutes. Serve hot.
Notes
- Variations:
– Chocolate Hazelnut Butter: Substitute 3 cups toasted hazelnuts for the Tehina, but process them thoroughly in a food processor before adding the chocolate mixture. You might want to use other toasted nuts as well: Peanuts, cashews, almonds, pistachios, pecans, even roasted chestnuts (even though it’s not a nut). Proceed just as instructed here.
– Sugar-Restricted: use unsweetened chocolate, omit the agave, and use 1/4 to 1/3 cup stevia
– Cake Topping: Add 2-3 tablespoons rum or brandy to the mixture, and use it as top layer to ice cream cake (the rum will prevent it from freezing solid). Likewise, use it as topping or filling to any cake, like a ganache. Spread while it is is still liquid, before it firms up, so it will spread easily.
– Tart Filling, Truffles and Bars: Add some chopped toasted nuts, or toasted sesame seeds, or grated unsweetened coconut, and a little coconut to thin the mixture, and use as a filling for a tart. Or shape the mixture into little balls, and roll in cocoa powder or coconut. You could also pat the whole mixture into a pan, chill, then cut into squares or bars.
– Dip: Slather on apple, pear or banana slices, or on berries.
