Cheesy Stuffed Shells

Recipe courtesy Melissa d'Arabian for Food Network Magazine

Rated: 4 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (56)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(56)

Cook Time:
1 hr 45 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
4 to 6 servings

Times:

Prep: 30 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 1 hr 45 min
Total:: 2 hr 15 min

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Ingredients

For the Sauce
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated carrot
1/2 cup grated zucchini
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
Freshly ground pepper
For the Shells
1 12-ounce box jumbo pasta shells
8 ounces silken tofu, mashed
1 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 clove garlic, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Cooking spray

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrot, zucchini, onion and celery and saute until soft but not brown, 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the basil, oregano, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, prepare the shells: Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for 8 minutes; drain. Mix the tofu, spinach, cottage cheese, parmesan, 1/2 cup mozzarella, the egg and garlic in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper.

Mist a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread about 1 cup of

the sauce in the dish. Stuff the cheese mixture into the shells and place in the baking dish, open-side up. Pour the remaining sauce over the shells. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella and bake for 15 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

Photograph by Ngoc Minh Ngo

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Cheesy Stuffed Shells
Jessica El Dorado Hills, CA 01-28-2010
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Delicious and easy to make!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This recipe is delicious and super easy to make. I don't alway have time to make the sauce from scratch so I just use store... bought sauce and it still turns out amazing. If it tastes flat, add more spices to the recipe. I don't care for tofu so I use lean ground beef. This is a great "make ahead" recipe. I will also be making this again and again!Read more
recipe Cheesy Stuffed Shells
Rose Sacramento, CA 01-28-2010
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Fantastic!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

If you don't like this recipe, you don't know how to cook. I made it as written and it was delicious! Not a busy weeknight... meal, but for weekends or company, it is awesome. Keep up the great work, Melissa. I haven't tried a recipe I didn't like yet!Read more
recipe Cheesy Stuffed Shells
Tina Pittsburgh, PA 01-22-2010
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Fabulous, but I tweaked it.
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

The result I got from this recipe was FANTASTIC. I made a batch last Sunday and I already want to make it again! However, I... cheated because I didn't feel like making my own sauce. I sauteed the onions with some garlic, browned some extra lean ground beef, added baby bella mushrooms, and then a jar of "Firecracker" pasta sauce (can't remember the brand), and 28 oz of canned tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano. Then I pretty much followed the recipe, except I used light ricotta instead of tofu doubled the spinach, and used low-fat versions of cottage cheese, mozzarella, and parmesan. It was FANTASTIC and very filling. I divided the 9x13 pan into 9 servings, and it was about 390 cals per serving. I will make this again and again!Read more
recipe Cheesy Stuffed Shells
JUDY SALAMANCA, NY 01-14-2010
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Cheesy Stuffed Shells
Rated: 1 stars out of 5

AWFUL, AWFUL, AWFUL, IS ALL i CAN SAY! Wasted of food and energy!
recipe Cheesy Stuffed Shells
alexis san antonio, TX 01-14-2010
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family loved it
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

tried this recipe it was a huge hit. I did tweak a few things, my husband hates tofu so i used ground turkey breast and... ricotta as a substitute, and he also dislikes spinach so I used broccoli instead to still keep a veggie in it. I don't know why others are saying the sauce was too watery, it is common sense if tomato sauce isn't thick enough just add more tomato pasteRead more
recipe Cheesy Stuffed Shells
Margaret Ballwin, MO 01-13-2010
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Very Nice !
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Enjoyed the recipe and the price. Hate it when stupid bloggers try to get attention for themselves instead of giving an ... honest review------like KIM !!Read more