stuffed shell recipe, new and improved!

ingredients:

- 16-18 dry jumbo pasta shells
- 2 eggs, lightly whisked
- 4 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
- 6 Tbsp. shredded parmesan cheese (not the powdered stuff from an unrefridgerated jar)
- 12 oz cottage cheese (large and small curd are both fine. higher % milkfat will result in gooier cheese)
- spaghetti sauce like prego, ragu, etc. can use original or the kind with toppings/meat added. personally i use original prego.
- (you also *could* add meat to the filling if you wanted to. for me personally this dish is all about appreciating the melt-in-your-mouth cheese, but it's up to you!)


seasonings:

you can skip any of these that you want to, originally all i used was oregano and parsley. 1 tsp for each will work fine, with more or less added at your discretion:
- oregano
- basil
- parsley
- rosemary
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- truffle salt (highly recommend if you're obsessed with truffle like me)


process:

- fill a large pot with water, at least 2/3 full. salt the water and set on the stove to boil.

- meanwhile, mix together the whisked egg and cottage cheese. stir in desired seasonings. stir in mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.

- once the water is boiling, add the shells, reduce heat, and cook to manufacturer's directions or 1-2 mins longer. stir occasionally - this is best done by stirring the spoon in the water above the shells to create a current that will move the shells without you having to touch them (touching them makes them more likely to tear and be unusable)

- take a glass or metal 8x8 or 9x9 baking pan and dump some spaghetti sauce, then tilt the pan around so the entire bottom is coated evenly with the sauce. a thick layer of sauce isn't necessary, "just enough" is fine.

- once the shells are finished, drain them in a strainer and re-fill the pot with cold water to about 1/3 full. move the shells from the strainer back to the pot with cold water.

- set oven to 375 degrees.

- to begin stuffing the shells, take a shell in your hand and scoop some cheese mixture into it using a spoon, then set the shell into the baking pan. alternatively, you can fill a ziploc bag with the stuffing and cut off the corner's tip to create a piping bag for filling. repeat until pan is full. don't be shy to squeeze in as many shells as you're able to fit, and use any leftover stuffing to last-minute fill any shells that look a little sad compared to the rest.

- pour spaghetti sauce onto the shells generously enough to ensure the shells and stuffing are completely covered.

- cover pan with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes.

- after 25 minutes, remove aluminum foil cover (save it if you anticipate leftovers, since you can just stick it right back on the pan and throw it in the fridge).

- bake for 25 minutes again, uncovered this time.

- remove from oven and serve hot