Cheese-Stuffed Pasta Shells Recipe

So of course we all know what pasta is (extremely yummy stuff) and isn't (a dieting food free of carbs). But still, who doesn't love some kind of pasta! Personally, I think the Italians planned this all along. They wanted to conquer the world and found that the easiest way to do so would be to get the entire world addicted to their delicious dishes. But do you ever wonder what pasta is actually made of or it's made? Well, check out www.youtube.com/watch for information on how to make pasta from scratch. Now how cool is that!

But did you know that pasta did not actually originate in Italy? Pasta is thought to have have come to Europe with the help of nomadic Arabs. They needed to take food with them on their journeys, and wanted something that would not spoil, so they thought pasta to be an excellent candidate for the job. Through the trade and travel of Arabs throughout Europe, pasta reached Greece and Rome. The Romans loved pasta so much that they innovated new forms and different recipes to suit it, making pasta one of their main and most popular dishes. And since the Greco-Roman era, pasta stayed an Italian tradition. In fact, Italians were so fascinated by pasta and the demand for it was so high that they developed forks to facilitate eating pasta (instead of using their hands to eat it).

To get a taste of one amazing and incredibly easy pasta dish, check out the recipe below. Experiment, and try making the pasta from scratch as instructed on the video too! It can also serve as a fun family activity, with each person making their own pasta shapes. Go ahead, indulge!

Ingredients
_ 1 small onion
_ Salt and pepper to taste
_ 2 tsp garlic powder
_ 1 Tbsp Oregano
_ 1 Tbsp dried parsley
_ 1 large jar of marinara sauce
_ 3 cups of small curd cottage cheese
_ 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
_1 Package of jumbo shells
_ 2 cups mozzarella

Cooking Steps
1) Bring salt water to a boil and cook pasta as packaging directions state
2) Preheat oven to 400 degrees
3) Chop onion into small dices
4) Saute over medium to high heat in a lightly greased skillet
5) In a separate bowl, fold together cottage cheese, salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, parsley and Parmesan cheese
6) Add 1 cup of marinara sauce and sauteed onions into cheese mixture
7) Mix until all ingredients are well incorporated
8) Stuff cheese into cooked shells and place in a well greased baking dish
9) Pour remainder of marinara sauce over stuffed shells
10) Sprinkle generously with mozzarella
11) Tightly cover with aluminum foil ( side down sprayed with non stick spray)
12) Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes
13) Remove foil and bake an additional five minutes until cheese has completely melted

Buon appetito!