Three Cheese Stuffed Shells

Three Cheese Stuffed Shells
12 ounces jumbo pasta shells
4 cups mozzarella cheese, divided
2 cups ricotta cheese

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 egg

1-2 jars (26 oz) pasta sauce

2 tablespoons dried basil or parsley

Directions
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add jumbo pasta shells and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. In a bowl, mix 3 cups mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, garlic, egg, and basil/parsley. Stuff cooked shells with the mixture.
4. Spread about 2 cups pasta sauce over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Arrange stuffed manicotti in the dish, and cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.
5. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan, and continue baking 10 minutes, until mozzarella is melted and bubbly.

Tips: I made this for dinner twice this week (TJ and the kids loved it and requested it again). The first time I made it, I used manicotti noodles. It was good, but they were a pain to stuff! The second time I made it, I used the jumbo shells and they were a lot easier to stuff. The recipe actually calls for 2 jars of pasta sauce, but I just used one. I don't think it really needs 2 jars. Also, I learned that after you are done boiling the pasta, rinse it with cold water. It makes stuffing a lot easier and the noodles will warm back up while they are in the oven. I served it with garlic bread and broccoli. This recipe was yummy and easy enough that I will definitely add it to my menu of regular meals.