Low-Fat Artichoke & Sundried Tomato Stuffed Manicotti

One of Jerry's favorite foods is stuffed shells, though it is likely been years since he's eaten it, since stuffed shells really is not the most healthy dish. So, I was very excited when I saw a suggestion for using fat-free cottage cheese in place of ricotta and Parmesan cheese. Adding a larger portion of veggies, makes this dish even more appealing. I desperately search our usual grocery store for whole wheat shells, but I couldn't even find regular white shells! So I opted for whole wheat manicotti, which had great results.

Serves:

2-4 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups steamed artichoke hearts, coursely chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 (16 ounce) container fat-free cottage cheese
• 10 oz fresh spinach, coursely chopped
• 1 cup dried tomatoes, re-hydrated
• 1 egg
• 12 manicotti shells, cooked and drained
• 1 (15 1/4 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce, or homemade if you are up for it!
• 2 Tbsp shredded mozzarella cheese

Cooking:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
2. Heat a large skillet over med-high heat, sprinkling your oil over it. Saute your onion, garlic, Italian seasoning until tender.
3. Add the artichokes and cook for about 3 minutes. Finally add the spinach a little at a time, until it is wilted. Remove from heat and stir in the cottage cheese and egg.
4. Carefully stuff each manicotti with the mixture. I find that using my hands rather than a spoon was more frustrating than anything. 
5. Put 1/2 cup of the sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch pan and arrange the manicotti on top of it.
6. Top with the remaining sauce and your shredded cheese. Bake for 30-35 minutes until hot.
7. Enjoy!

-Carly