Stuffed Shells I

I have not made this yet...but plan on doing so this week sometime! I just wanted to share this tip that I use with EVERY lasagna & manicotti recipe. I have never pre-cooked the noodles. Make everything up the night before, pour about 1/2 cup of water over the whole thing, cover with foil, and refrigerate till supper the next night. The shells cook in the extra water and sauce, and its not the least bit runny! No worrying about tearing the shells again!

Easy and tasty. I made some adjustments for my picky husband's (and mine too) tastes. I used Ricotta instead of cottage cheese, added some garlic to the cheese mixture and some ground beef to the sauce. I used a jarred Arribata (spelling?) sauce which went well with it. It could have used more sauce we thought, maybe a jar and a half. Hubby requested that this be added to the regular rotation, always a sign of approval.

This is an absolutely wonderful dish, and it freezes pretty well. Stuffing the shells is the biggest challenge.....I think next time I'll put the filling into a ziplock bag and cut the corner off and fill them pastry bag-style.

Replace cottage cheese w/ricotta cheese, no egg in mixture makes stuffing to heavy. Add a little of the tomato sauce to mixture to smooth.

Thanks for all the great reviews. When I posted this recipe in 2001 had no idea it would be so versitile. Love the idea of chopped spinach in the filling. Can't wait to try that myself. Like I said in my Italian Sausage Soup review, I am a lazy wannabe Italian and come up with the easiest way to make a good recipe. Glad you all enjoy this one too. Thanks again for the wonderful reviews. Karen M

I have been making this recipe for decades, but I always add chopped spinach to the filling. I thaw and drain it before adding. I figure that this addition makes me think that I'm eating something healthy!

We loved this recipe, and the only thing I changed was using 1/2 mozzarella and 1/2 shredded cheddar chesse, and used a parmesan/romano cheese mix, putting 1/4 C in the cheese mixture and reserving the rest for the top. Here are a couple of tips I have learned over the years about stuffed shells that the novice might find useful. First, I mix all the cheeses & spices together with my mixer. This not only breaks up large curds of cottage cheese, and thoroughly blends the spices, but will make the end result more creamy. Second, follow the directions on the box for the shells BUT cook the shells 2 1/2 minutes less than it says, then immediately cover in cold water, but remember to keep the water cold. Drain, and let shells air dry before filling. This way you can just open them with your thumb and index finger for easy filling and they aren't as easily torn, plus the pasta stays firm. (Covering them with foil while baking will keep them from being dry also.)

Excellent recipe, thank you for sharing! I will make this again and again! I used the advice of another member and put the cheese mixture in a ziplock plastic bag and then snipped the end off when stuffing the shells. It worked great, no mess!!!

This recipe was a big hit with my young daughters, vegetarian (adult) niece and the rest of the family. Everyone asked for the recipe. I did add a little basil to the recipe in addition to the other spices. Since we were going to be gone all day and needed an easy dinner that evening, I stuffed the shells in the morning and refrigerated the dish all day. When I baked it, the cheese mixture was a little watery on top... but that may because I didn't let the dish warm to room temperature before baking. It was still delicious - just looked a little runny. Next time, I let the dish warm up before baking.

I followed Sallyjun's recipe to the letter but when I went to stuff the shells using others suggestions of putting mixture in a plastic bag and cutting off a tip to allow mixture to be squeezed out, it was a horrible mess. So, here's what I did. I used my smallest spring loaded scoop, about the size of a golf ball, and filled the scoop to the top and then released the filling into a shell....worked fantastic and there was very little mess. Sometimes these small scoops are hard to find but they are worth their weight in gold. I use it for making cookies. Now back to the recipe. I baked the pasta shells for 20 minutes covering it with non-stick aluminum foil and then removed the foil and baked for another 20 minutes. Turned out perfect. I used Prego which is our favorite red sauce. Hope I've made someone's day with the small spring loaded scoup suggestion. Meanwhile, thanks Sallyjun.....great recipe!

I made some changes based on some of the reviews as well as because I like to use fresh herbs better. I used 2 cups small curd cottage cheese and 2 cups Ricotta Cheese. I also chopped about 3 tbs. fresh basil and about the same of fresh parsley. Added one pkg. chopped frozen Spinach, thawed and used freshly ground black pepper, 1 tsp. garlic powder, a little salt, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, about 1/3 cup shredded Asiago Cheese and about 2 tbs. grated Romano cheese. I used Bertolli Olive Oil & Garlic Spaghetti sauce and topped with freshly grated Parmesan. Made it the night before and took to a potluck at work. I got rave reviews.

Just wanted to let all of you die-hard ricotta fans know that until this past year I, too, would never think of using cottage cheese. I decided to give it a try with lasagna and now I will never go back to ricotta. I tried it in this recipes and again it was fantastic. But don't tell my family. Thanks for the recipe.

Simply, ooey gooey cheesy goodness!! These were even better the next day after the cheeses had settled and firmed a little more. I recommend fresh shredded parmesan cheese and extra mozzarella. Serve with a garden salad with Italian dressing, and you have a meal better than you could buy at Olive Garden!!

This recipe has become my family's favorite. I can't make them fast enough. Really great taste. I make my own marinara sauce which takes a bit longer but also makes them wonderful. Thanks from our whole family.

Awesome with a few needed changes: For a 16 oz box of shells, I used 1c small curd cottage cheese, 1 & 1/2 c ricotta cheese, 16 oz shredded mozz cheese, 2 jars spag sauce, 1/4 c parm cheese, 2 eggs, 1 t garlic powder & 1/2 t each: oregano, basil, parsley, fresh pepper. Mix all spices, all cheese (excpet 1/2 of the mozz), & eggs: set aside. Cook shells 3 minutes less than directed, emerge in cold water until cool, place on a clean towel and let air dry (1 hour or so). Cover bottom of 9X13 dish with sauce, fill shells (I used a gallon bag with dime size whole at one tip and add 1/3 of mixture at a time).Place shells seam side up and very close together, top with rest of sauce, make sure you get all of the shells. Sprinkle with some parm cheese and the rest of the mozz cheese. Bake covered 20 minutes and uncovered 15 more minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes prior to serving. I added meatballs and sausage to the dish, just wonderful.

This recipe is delicious! I made it for myself and my boyfriend and we both loved it. I only have a 9x13 pan, so I made the recipe in that and found that I had enough shells and filling to fill another 8x11 baking dish too! I assembled the second pan and put it in the freezer. Not sure how long it will last in there, since my boyfriend won't stop raving about the first batch! Thanks for the good recipe.

This is awesome, thanks so much, I did not make shells for years thinking it would take so much time and mess, and now I have made this recipe three times under 30 mins, delicious too! excellent, a keeper.

I made this for six women last night & they loved it! I used half ricotta & half cottage cheese - I blended all the ingredients in my food processor. As suggested, I used a ziplock bag to pipe the filling into the shells... could have used one more hand! Overall, very good recipe!

This recipe was very good, although I have to admit that I used fat-free ricotta (Sargento), fat-free mozzarella (Kraft), and low-fat Parmesan (Kraft). I pumped up the spices a little, and the flavor was great! I also doubled the sauce. What a low-fat solution to a normally hi-fat recipe and it was so tasty!

Have been making this for years except I do not pre-cook my shells. It is too hard to stuff those little puppies. I stuff the shells, pour a layer of sauce in the bottom of my baking pan, place shells in pan, pour more sauce over, cover with foil and bake as directed. My shells always come out tender.

I liked this recipe but needs meat. When I make shells I always add a sweet italian sausage and hamburger mixture to the shells. I add the meat mixture in the shells then add everything else on top.

Aside from the actual shell stuffing (although using a ziplock bag made it easeier) this recipe was fantastic. I like more 'stuff' in my pasta dishes, so I added mushrooms, spinach, and sausage (un-cased, cooked, blended) to give it extra pop...and it was a huge hit. I might use extra sauce next time.

This was a good recipe. Tasty alot like manicotti and it was easy.

This was excellent. I followed the recipe as is, and I'll make it again for sure. I have never liked stuffed shells because I hate ricotta, but this was awesome with the cottage cheese. Oh, I did use the small curd. Loved it.

Great and really easy! I used Ricotta Cheese and added hamburger meat. It turned out really well!

I made the 4 serving version, but increased the garlic powder as another reviewer suggested. When I opened the box of pasta A LOT of the shells were broken, so glad I was only needing half the box. I used small curd cottage cheese, fresh sauted spinach (drained). I put everything in the mixer to blend it well. I chilled the mixture to make it easier to fill (it made a big difference and I only needed a spoon to fill with). I cooked the shells for 2.5 mins less than the 10 mins on the box....then shocked them in cold water. I had a bunch that had tears in them, but thankfully I was doing a half portion of this recipe. I baked covered with foil for 20 mins and uncovered for 10 mins. I garnished with fresh parsley. Served with potatoes, but the whole time we were wishing we had some garlic bread. They tasted like they came from a fancy restaurant.

Like any good Italian dish, I make the night before-always better the next day. Don't want a sloppy mess? Then don't cook the noodles! Simple fill up a pan of tap water & place noodles in pan for about 15 min, they will be a little hard to handle, but it will work & when you are all done cooking, they will be perfect. I used red. fat rigotta cheese & red. fat cottage cheese, it was delicious. Added a bit more than a pinch of Italian seasoning for a bit more flavor. The most important part of this is to use FRESH Parm/Romano cheese, it makes the dish. Thanks so much!!

My family really liked this, I used half Ricotta and half cottage cheese, 1 lb. mild Italian sausage which I browned in a skillet with chopped onions and added to the sauce. extra shredded cheese, a package of spinach squeezed as much of the water out that I could and added to the cheese mixture and two jars of spaghetti sauce. Great recipe! It filled two 13 x 9 pans. One to eat and one to freeze. I'm adding it to my book of favs. Thanks SALLYJUN

This is very good and easy. I made this twice. the first time was very good. The second time I was trying to lower the fat/calories and change to taste/ I used part skim ricotta and low fat small curd cottage cheese. I also omitted the parsley (i don't like it) and used 1 tsp basil. I used half the mozzarella and 1 crushed garlic glove. Excellent!

These have become a regular at our house, my husband loves them. The only changes I make are adding fresh basil, 2 cloves of fresh garlic, and about a cup of frozen spinach. I mix it all in with the cheese stuffing. Very easy, pretty healthy, and very tasty!

This was so good. My husband loved it and I did too. The only change I made was doubling the sauce. The cheese mixture was perfect and it was totally worth the effort of making. Will definately make again. Thanks so much!

These were really good! I sauteed a large sweet onion plus 1 teaspoon of minced garlic in a little olive oil, and added it to the filling -- which I kept the same, aside from doubling the spices. I also doubled the parmesan cheese (fresh-grated) that I sprinkled on top. I will definitely make this again!

I use my small cookie scoop to fill these up. VERY EASY!!!

My husband says this is the best shell recipe he has ever had. Only a couple of changes made this to our liking. I used small curd cottage cheese...added a bag of chopped spinach, and seasoned with more garlic powder, basil and parsley. Topped with both mozzarella and parmesan. Covered with foil for the first 20 minutes and then cooked another 20-25 minutes without. Will definitely be a regular recipe for us.

Very good. I used Italian sausage with the sauce...it was a big hit.

We really enjoyed this recipe. I like the use of cottage cheese. I used my own marina, layered a ground beef marina the placed the stuffed shells on top of the beef and liberally spooned marinara over. It was a tasty, hearty meal. The leftovers were great too.

It's a decent recipe for shell filling. Changed from cottage cheese only, too half ricotta and cottage cheese. Also added basil,salt and pepper.This is a good recipe for the family. Will keep making...

Great!! I used one and a half jars sauce and just a little sauage and my kids and husband loved it!!! and me too!! Oh yah I also just used half small curd cottage cheese and half Ricotta. I didnt even have the full amount of Mozz. cheese and it was still great. and I did I say EASY yet. THANK YOU!!

This is one of the few dishes that all 5 of my kids AND my husband will eat. My husband and I even fought over the leftovers the next day! He did say he thought it needed some meat (ie ground beef) but I thought it was great as-is.

I have made this recipe twice first time i made it just about exactly as it says with tips from the helpful reviews like adding ricotta cheese using small curd cottage using fresh herbs and upping the seasoning. well the second time i elimated the cottage cheese all together and upped the parm and moz cheese and used about 2 cups of ricotta seasoned with garlic salt and pepper garlic powder onion powder fresh basial and italian seasoning to taste. no premeasurements just by taste. i seasoned my pasta sauce when its out the jar. i use NO SALT when seasoning the sauce because i salted the cheese mixer. i want it bursting with flavor not salt. i used garlic powder and pepper with some cumin to add a nice smokey kick without the fire. i under cooked my shells just a bit so they wouldnt fall apart while i stuffed using a ziplock bag. used lots of sauce to cover the shells completely and finish them in the oven. i topped it with moz and parm cheese and italian seasoning baked until melted and bubbling about 25- 30 minutes uncovered. came out great with the right balance of flavor. big family hit!

Good flavor, but I think I'll stick with ricotta instead of cottage cheese - these were a little bit watery.

This was absolutely delicious and so easy to make. a definite keeper.

I added two chicken breasts shredded in with cheese mixture and 1/2 cottage cheese and 1/2 ricotta. I also used 3 jars of spaghetti sauce (I like lots!)Kept everything else the same. I had enough filling and shells for 3- 9x13 pans. Kids really liked it...that in itself deserves the 5 stars.

I use one pound of large curd cottage cheese and one pound of full fat ricotta cheese instead of just cottage cheese and I use basil instead of oregano. I also use about twice the sauce (I love sauce). I use this recipe all the time ... it's definitely a keeper!

These were so delicious and pretty easy to make. We made them as is, the only change was that I served extra sauce on the side. A definite keeper.

Outstanding! I used my own canned spaghetti sauce, and added a little parsley to cheese mixture.

Excellent!! I used frozen chooped spinach and all cottage cheese(lowfat)my 4 kids and a extra child all said this was excellent , I also did not cook shells the recomended time, so they would be easier to fill Thanks for a nice recipe

So Good, Everyone just loved them! I got so many compliments.. I used Cottage Cheese, Swiss Cheese, Mozzarella Cheese, Sharp Cheddar Cheese and a Parmesan Riggiano. Mix all your ingredients in a food processer. (Your filling will turn out much creamier)! Also let your shells cool before stuffing them. (They will not tear as easy). Thanks, Karen - Great Recipe!

This was a really good recipe. I used to make these awhile ago and lost the recipes. The shells tasted great... I'll be making these again

We don't like ricotta cheese so we used cottage cheese. Everything else stayed the same. EXCELLENT>>>>>HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

I'm not a big fan of cottage cheese, so I used ricotta instead. It turned out fantastic. My very italian in-laws are still raving about it.

didn't care for the cottage cheese in it. i would prefer ricotta cheese instead

First time at it and I loved it!

This was the first time I made stuffed shells. A few tips: use MUCH more sauce - it needs it. I used 1/2 ricotta and 1/2 cottage cheese (full fat, large curd). I tried a ziplock as a pastry bag, but actually found it easier to stuff with a spoon. And undercook the shells by a few minutes, cool completely, and they should be easier to fill. Thanks for a yummy recipe.

this is an excellent tasting reciepe

This was absolutely DELICIOUS and incredibly easy. Spooning the cheese mixture into a zip-loc bag and then cutting the corner of the bag off made squeezing mixture into the shells a cinch and not messy at all. Everyone loved it! Served with garlic bread and broccoli. I will make this again and again!

I used small curd cottage cheese instead of large curd. I pulled one over on my husband with this recipe, he HATES cottage cheese but I whipped it up enough that he had no qualms, as a matter of fact, he really liked these!

Very yummy recipe! I had left over spinach artichoke dip in the refrigerator that I used about 3/4 cup of and reduce the cottage cheese accordingly. Then used Prego meat flavored sauce. Excellent combination! Tasted a lot like lasagna and my husband loved it :)

Yummylicious! Used ricotta instead of cottage cheese, 1 tsp of garlic powder and salt and 3/4 tsp of pepper and basil. Mixed all of the ingredients together in my KitchenAid and it was nice and smooth. I used 30 oz of fresh marinara sauce instead of spaghetti sauce. Forgive me but I just have to say it - Ciao!

I replaced the cottage cheese with ricotta cheese (I use whole milk, not lowfat which just waters it down). The dish turned out perfect. Even my fussy 3 and 6 year old kids loved the stuffed shells!

I liked it because it was interesting. Cottage cheese instead of Ricotta, for one. The downside is it's vegetarian, no meat. I would suggest adding Italian sausage or other meats to this recipe. Rating: 8/10

This was delicious! I used fat-free cottage cheese, low fat mozarella, added a little more sauce and added some fresh basil. Wonderful!

cooked this for my wife and me. We both loved it. easy enough that I could make it and my wife could relax and enjoy a good meal.

Great taste and pleasing to the eye as well. Very simple but, tastes like you spent hours.

Unanimous, 5 stars from the whole crew! I added fresh spinach (as is without cooking 1st) in the filling, which worked fine. To stuff the shells, I used a cookie scoop so I didn't need to toss a plastic bag. This worked well. Was it still a bit messy? Sure, but it really helped. I ran out of filling which may have been my fault as I filled them quite full. Next time I will stick with 1 box of shells which is 12 oz. instead of using 16 oz.. I did as another reviewer suggested and cooked the pasta for 2 1/2 minutes less than the directions. Great idea! The shells held up well during stuffing and were just right when it came time to eat them. I used Kay's Spaghetti and Lasagna Sauce from this site, which I highly recommend especially for those of you missing meat in the dish, as it is in the sauce. My husband suggested I make this the next time we have company over; now that's a good sign!

The cottage cheese in place of the ricotta, really makes a difference! Rich and delicious! Will be making again!

I doubled this reciped for a bridal shower and got a lot of compliments. Based on other reviews, I used 1/2 small curd cottage cheese and 1/2 ricotta. I also added one package of frozen spinach (for the double recipe), chopped fine and drained, and used extra sauce. I had a lot of shells that were in bad shape after boiling them, so I would suggest making extra pasta. Leftovers were great too!

Love it, love it, love it. Serve with garlic bread and salad. Fabulous!

Awesome! This recipe will be a regular in our house. So much easier and tastier than regular lasagna! Used the tip another member mentioned about putting the cheese mixture in a zip lock baggie and cutting the corner off to fill shells...worked great! Only change I made from original recipe was to add browned ground chuck to filling mixture. Italian hubby loved it! Thanks for a great recipe!

Easy and delicious! I also added spinach, more garlic powder, and black pepper, as others recommended. Using a plastic sealable bag to pipe in the cheese mixture was such a great idea! I will definitely make this again.

This was very delicious! I modified as follows: used half ricotta and half small curd cottage cheese, fresh oregano and fresh parsley, garlic salt instead of powder and cooked the shells partially (about 6min). I made sure that the sauce covered the shells well and sprinkled the parmeasean and mozzerella over the top. Covered with foil, baked for 30 minutes, removed the foil and baked an additional 20. PERFECT!! Even though this was a meatless dish, my husband loved it! And, on a side note, I took the advice from another reviewer and put the filling in a zip lock baggie, snipped the edge and piped the filling into the shells. Very easy and almost no mess! This will be a great addiditon to our menu rotation :o)

Great recipe. While the prep work does take a bit, its very worth it!

I also ended up with alot of cheese mixture left over, and the final product was just a bit runny. The flavor was good, and my family enjoyed it. I think next time I'll use less cottage cheese and maybe add a little spinch or some Italian sausage. Overall, a good meal!

YUM! 5 stars for inspiration! I used half ricotta & half cottage cheese, one egg instead of two & fresh garlic. I added ground beef to half of the sauce since dh likes meat. Leftovers were so good & I'm sad it's all gone. I'll be making this one often!

These were the best stuffed shells I've ever had! I used ricotta cheese instead of cottage (just a personal preference) and they were awesome! I love the tip from another reviewer about "piping" the filling into the shells, that was perfect!

I have fixed this twice... great recipe! I made a few minor changes the second time ... added spinach, used italian seasoning instead of the oregano(family preference), added Mozzarella on top.. and followed one reviewers suggestion of covering for 20 mins, then removing the cover for another 20... big difference, didn't dry out. All in all a great meal ... very filling and very tasty! THANKS for sharing!!!!

This was delicious! It made a lot, but the leftovers were great. I did what some of the other reviewers did and used half ricotta and half cottage cheese and more sauce. I also put some shredded mozzarella on top before baking. To keep the shells from sticking and breaking I added a little olive oil to the water. I will make this again.

This recipe was so delicious! My family are meat eaters so I added ground beef to mine and it turned out perfect! Next time I will add the ricotta cheese.

I think it is a great starter recipe that is very flexible as far as changing it to add your own style to it. I added 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese and it made it even cheezier. it went great with a salad and some fresh form the oven garlic bread.

5 stars with the changes, a little bland I think without them. After reading Littlepuffy's review, I followed most of her advice. I upped spices, 1+tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp parsley, 2 tsp basil, added 1# mild Italian sausage, and 3 large handfuls of fresh chopped spinach (I don't care for the cooked/frozen). Wonderful!!! I piped, as suggested, but in the baggie the shredded cheese came in-worked great. It filled my 9x13 and an 8x8 that I was able to freeze for later. Our whole family liked it, even the picky ones!

I could not stop eating this! My husband who doesn't usually like anything "spaghetti like" (any pasta with sauce) and thinks there HAS to be meat in everything liked it. I used lowfat small curd cottage cheese and Classico brand Fire-roasted tomato & garlic sauce. LOVE IT!

This came out really well. I made manicotti with this filling. I did a 50/50 mix on cottage cheese and ricotta cheese as some had suggested. I added a bit more mozzarella cheese but this was just great. Well done and will be made again in our household. Do yourself a favor and get one of those pastry bags so filing the shells or whatever you use is not so challenging!

Delicious! The only change I made was to add some italian ground turkey to the sauce. This was a must!!

excellent!!!!!!!!!!! Everyone was right very good the first time and warmed up. I will definately make this over and over again. It's a lot cheaper than the frozen store bought one.

Yummy! This recipe ROCKS! Made with the sauce from "World's Best Lasagna" minus the meat, and homemade garlic bread. Try it! You will NOT regret it. Made it for 4 and everybody raved about it! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!

My grocery store only had a 12oz box of shells which worked fine. I actually could not fit all of the shells in a 9x13 pan. I also used a whole Tbsp of garlic powder as someone suggested, and I feel this is too much. 1/2 Tbsp would be better. I cooked it for 20 mins covered and then 20 minus uncovered.

very easy to make...the only thing I did different is I used 2 cloves of garlic minced instead of the powder. My family loves this recipe!

This recipe was a huge hit!! The only changes I made was using small curd cottage cheese instead of large, added a little ricotta, and made it with my homemade spaghetti sauce. I ended up making a double recipe and they were all gone in one day! Thanks for this delicious recipe!

I made this and liked it. But instead of 4 cups cottage cheese I did half cottage cheese and half ricotta cheese. It was even better heated the next day.

Good dish. Cooked the shells for seven minute. Used ricotta.

Only thing that I did differently was to add 1 tsp dried basil. It was delicious. My husband and I loved it. I never would of thought to use cottage cheese instead of ricotta, but it was so good! Picky 2 year old wouldn't touch it though. Maybe next time. :)

I think the readers who suggested switching the cottage cheese for ricotta cheese are totally missing the point of this recipe-- it's stuffed shells WITHOUT ricotta cheese, whether for health reasons, price reasons or taste reasons. (In my case, my SO doesn't like ricotta cheese.) Either way, these are SPECTACULAR, and you don't miss a thing using cottage cheese instead of ricotta. They freeze (without the sauce) really well too!

I always make my Stuffed Shells with cottage cheese. I prefer the small curd, but using large curd is never a problem. I mix everything in my kitchenaid . I do add more mozzarella cheese to the recipe. Personal preference. I add preground italian spice and a pinch of ground garlic. The only hint I can give you is if you have a jerkey maker or cookie press use this to fill your shells. No mess and very easy to use.

I used low fat cottage cheese, upped the garlic powder, and it was delicious!

This was great!! I did ad some ground sausage to the cheese mixture that I stuffed the shells with. Very Very Yummy~~Thanks!

Husband and the kidlets really liked these shells. I used my last canned "World's Best Pasta Sauce!" for the spaghetti sauce. When canning the sauce, I did add some meatballs using "The Best Meatballs You'll Ever Had." In the future, I would bake these shells for at least 45 minutes.

I made the mistake of being in a hurry and NOT pre-cooking the shells. Big mistakes b/c even after 45 minutes in the oven, they were still hard in spots. Other then that, I followed the recipe and the taste was good.

DELICIOUS! This recipe is amazing and pleased both my SUPER picky husband and food striking 20 month old! Only complaint is that I cooked for 25 minutes like the recipe calls for, and the shells and filling were only luke warm. I put in for only another five minutes and they became dried out. Good thing we ate a majority of it before the second cooking! Next time I would definitely follow a fellow reviewer's advice and cook covered for 20 and then uncovered for 20. That way the insides are nice and hot and the tops don't get dried out. Also, I used 3/4 of a HUGE jar (3 lb and some odd ounce jar) of spaghetti sauce rather than just 26 ounces...the 26 ounces didn't cover the shells completely. Also, don't be afraid to really stuff them up...I used a 9x13 pan and was able to fill up three rows of tightly squished shells (using I would say 4/5's of the box of shells). I had to go back and add some filling to the beginning shells since I had some leftover! Next time I won't skimp so much on the filling! I also added some mozerella to the top and we all sprinkled parmesan over our servings on our plate. The taste overall was beyond delicious and really SO simple to make...this is only the 8th time I have made dinner in my entire life, so if I can pull it off and think it is easy, anyone can! :)

Delicious! I was pretty skeptical about using cottage cheese but decided I would try it anyways. So glad I did! I have always used ricotta but will probably stick with cottage cheese going forward.