Recipe: Stuffed shells

Yes, it is possible to eat pasta and lose weight. I must admit that I don't eat pasta very often and when I do, it's in small amounts. But I could never live without it. So here's a recipe I adapted from Weight Watchers for stuffed shells. Before I began my weight loss journey, I made them about once a month. And they were stuffed with full-fat mozzarella, ricotta, parmesan and ground beef and then topped with plenty of sauce and cheese. Now, I make them just a few times a year and each time I've made the recipe better and better. So here's the latest version, which has a little more heft (and fat) than the Weight Watchers version. But it is so yummy!

Ingredients
24 jumbo pasta shells (I prefer whole-wheat, but I couldn't find jumbo shells.)
1 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
1 cup 2% milk fat cottage cheese
1 package frozen spinach
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 tbsp. Italian seasoning
Sprinkle of red pepper flakes
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce with basil, garlic and oregano
1/4 cup 2% milk fat mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tbsp. parmesan cheese, shredded
Sprinkle of grated parmesan cheese
Cooking spray

Cook shells according to package directions. Thaw spinach in a large bowl in the microwave. Mix in ricotta, cottage cheese, garlic salt, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. Coat a large baking dish with cooking spray. After pasta is slightly cooled, stuff each shell with about 2 tablespoons of filling and place in baking dish. Pour both cans of tomato sauce over shells. Sprinkle with shredded cheeses. Bake at 350 degrees until sauce begins to bubble. About 15-20 minutes. To serve, put four shells on a plate and add just a sprinkle of grated parmesan. Makes 6 servings.