Easy Italian Recipes: Deep Dish Lasagna and Stuffed Shells

Everyone seems to love Italian food. The only downside is that many people turn to local restaurants instead of preparing Italian food in their own kitchen. This is a real shame because preparing food at home allows you to be in full control of the meal you're about to eat with your family. Not to mention that it's much more affordable to prepare your favorite Italian dishes at home. The following recipes are easy, affordable and customizable.

Deep Dish Lasagna

2 pounds of extra lean ground beef
1 regular jar of red pasta sauce (your favorite flavor)
1 small container of ricotta cheese
16 ounce contain of cottage cheese (not the low-fat kind)
1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
8 ounce bag of shredded mozzarella cheese
½ tablespoon of dried parsley flakes
2 eggs
6 short, no boil lasagna noodles

1. Cook the ground beef and then stir in all but ¼ cup of the pasta sauce.

2. Spray a deep 8x8 glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and line the bottom of the dish with the remaining sauce.

3. In a large bowl, mix all of the ricotta, cottage cheese and Parmesan cheese. Add ½ cup of mozzarella to the mix along with the parsley and two eggs. Stir until well combined.

4. Add two of the lasagna noodles to the bottom of the pan and top with half the cheese mixture.

5. Next, add a layer of meat sauce, another layer of noodles, the rest of the cheese mixture, another layer of sauce, another layer of noodles and the rest of the sauce.

6. Top the mixture with the rest of the mozzarella cheese.

7. Place the pan on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil and cover the pan with a tent of aluminum foil making sure that the foil doesn't touch the cheese, but the edges are crimped tightly.

8. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 50 to 60 minutes.

9. Remove the foil and continue cooking the lasagna until the cheese browns, around 10 to 15 minutes.

10. Allow the lasagna to sit for 15 minutes before cutting.

Stuffed Shells

1 large box of jumbo shells
1 small container of ricotta cheese
16 ounce contain of cottage cheese (not the low-fat kind)
1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
8 ounce bag of shredded mozzarella cheese
½ tablespoon of dried parsley flakes
2 eggs
1 regular sized jar of marinara sauce
8 ounces of shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Cook the shells according to the package directions and allow to cool slightly.

2. Mix the cheese together, using only ½ cup of the mozzarella.

3. Stuff the cooled shells with cheese mixture and place in a 9x13 glass baking dish that has been covered with 1 cup of marinara sauce.

4. Top the shells with the remaining marinara sauce and cheese.

5. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

6. Uncover and continue baking until the cheese browns.