Four-Cheese Stuffed Shells With Smoky Marinara

== Description ==
Source: Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2004 - Cooking Light Magazine
This dish goes straight from 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.
QUICK TIP: The only downside to stuffed shells or manicotti is getting the filling into the pasta. Using a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag as a pastry bag works great. Simply spoon the filling into the plastic bag, squeeze out the air, snip a 1-inch hole in one corner of the bag, and pipe the filling into the shells. Snip a small hole to start with; you can always make it bigger.
== Ingredients ==
* 1 pound uncooked jumbo shell pasta (40 shells)
* Cooking spray
* 1 (12-ounce) carton 1% low-fat cottage cheese
* 1 (15-ounce) carton ricotta cheese
* 1 cup (4ounces) 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, drained, and squeezed dry
* 6 cups Smoky Marinara, divided
* 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
== Directions ==
# 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.
# 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 in remaining prepared dish.
# Cover with foil.
# Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
Yield: 2 casseroles, 5 servings per dish (serving size: about 4 stuffed shells and about 1/2 cup Smoky Marinara)
Category:American Recipes
Category:American Vegetarian
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