Cottage Cheese Stuffed Shells with Turkey Meat Sauce

Ingredients

For the Turkey Meat Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 onion, chopped
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 (28-ounce) can tomato puree
• 2½ to 3 cups water
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

For the Cottage Cheese Filling:

• 2 cups (16 oz) Knudsen whole-milk cottage cheese
• 4 ounces fontina cheese, shredded (1 cup)
• 2 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (1 cup)
• 2 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
• 1½ tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

For the Shells and Topping:

• 25 jumbo pasta shells, uncooked
• 8 ounces fontina cheese, shredded (2 cups)
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped (for garnish)

Instructions

1. Make the Turkey Meat Sauce Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the ground turkey and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through with no pink remaining, about 8-10 minutes. Add the chopped onion, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomato puree, 2½ cups of water, and sugar. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook until the flavors have melded, about 5 minutes. The sauce should be saucy and thin, not thick. This is crucial for the shells to cook properly! Add more water if it seems too thick. Set aside.
2. Make the Cottage Cheese Filling In a large bowl, stir together the Knudsen cottage cheese, 1 cup of shredded fontina, grated Pecorino Romano, eggs, chopped basil, cornstarch, minced garlic, dried oregano, and salt until thoroughly combined and smooth. Transfer the filling to a large piping bag or a gallon-size zip-top bag. If using a zip-top bag, seal it and cut about 1 inch off one corner to create a piping opening.
3. Prepare and Stuff the Shells Adjust your oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the 25 uncooked jumbo shells open side up on the counter in front of you. Working one at a time, pipe the cottage cheese filling into each shell until it's about three-quarters full. Divide any remaining filling evenly among all the shells so they're nicely stuffed but not overflowing.
4. Assemble the Dish Spread 1 cup of the turkey meat sauce over the bottom of a 13x9-inch baking dish. This creates a sauce cushion that prevents the shells from sticking. Transfer the stuffed shells, open side up, to the prepared dish, arranging them in neat rows. Pour the remaining sauce evenly over all the shells, making sure they're completely covered with sauce. This moisture is what cooks the pasta!
5. Bake Covered Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and place it on a rimmed baking sheet (to catch any drips). Bake until the shells are tender when pierced with a knife and the sauce is boiling rapidly around the edges, about 45 minutes. You should see vigorous bubbling when you peek under the foil.
6. Add Cheese and Finish Baking Remove the dish from the oven and carefully discard the foil (watch out for steam!). Sprinkle the remaining 2 cups of shredded fontina cheese evenly over the top of all the shells. Return to the oven, uncovered, and bake until the fontina is melted and lightly browned, about 15 minutes. The cheese should be bubbly and golden in spots.
7. Rest and Serve Let the shells cool and rest for 25 minutes before serving. This is important! The sauce will thicken, the cheese will set, and the shells will be much easier to serve without falling apart. Sprinkle with fresh chopped basil right before serving. Use a large spoon to scoop out shells with plenty of sauce!