½teaspoonkosher salt(plus more for the pasta water)
2 ¼cupsmarinara sauce(homemade or jarred, plus more for serving)
1cuppart-skim mozzarella cheese(shredded )
Chopped fresh basil or parsley(for serving)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Place the spinach in a large pot with 3 tablespoons of water, cover and let the spinach steam for 1 minute, stirring, until the spinach is wilted. Transfer to a strainer and squeeze out the excess water and chop the spinach.
In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta shells according to package directions, 9 to 10 minutes. Drain and keep them separate to prevent them from sticking together.
Meanwhile, while the noodles cook, in a large bowl combine cottage cheese, Parmesan, pesto, egg and ½ teaspoon salt. Mix in the spinach and mix well.
Ladle about 1 cup sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Stuff each shell with about 2 tablespoons of the filling and place in the dish, cut side up. Ladle the remaining sauce over the shells and top each one with 1 tablespoon mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil without touching the cheese and bake for 40 minutes.
Garnish with fresh herbs and serve with more marinara on the side, if desired.
Notes
*If you prefer to use ricotta cheese, I recommend Polly-o. Simply swap it for the same amount.