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Straight-Ahead Shells and Cheese

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mac and cheese

Straight-Ahead Shells and Cheese
 
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This is a quick, easy crowd-pleaser. (Sometimes I like to add crumbled bacon.)
by:
Serves: 8 to 12
Ingredients
  • Salt
  • 1 pound (16 ounces) pasta shells
  • 1 pound (16 ounces) grated sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 container (16 ounces) cottage cheese
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 container (16 ounces) sour cream
  • Ground black pepper
  • 1 cup dry bread crumbs
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 3 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
  1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Bring 2 quarts of water and 1 tablespoon of salt to boil in a large soup kettle over high heat. Using package directions as a guide, and stirring frequently at first to keep it from sticking, boil pasta, partially covered, until just tender. Drain.
  2. Meanwhile, mix cheeses and sour cream in a large bowl. Add hot pasta; toss to coat. Adjust seasonings, including pepper. Turn in to a vegetable spray-coated 13- by 9-inch baking dish.
  3. Mix bread crumbs, parsley, and butter. Sprinkle evenly over shells and cheese. Bake until casserole is bubbly and crumbs are golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Serve.

 

About Sharon Damelio

I love to cook and to write–both of which I learned at my parents’ elbows. After graduating from college, I worked at Fine Cooking magazine as the Assistant Web Editor. After two glorious years there, I returned to graduate school and now work at WhyHunger, an NYC-based nonprofit that is building a movement to end hunger and increase access to fresh, nutritious food. In the kitchen, I fancy myself the culinary version of an armchair-traveler, but I’m also a devoted baker. Some days, when work is overwhelming and the world seems bleak, methodically creating a batch of bread, cookies, or scones is all the relaxation I need.

3 Comments

  3. Sarah says

    I added BBQ chicken to the dish, using a rotisserie chicken. Looking forward to the leftovers tonight!

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