Manicotti

One of my favorite meals is stuffed manicotti. I love cheese and anything made with cheese so this is right up my alley. Although they take a little work they are more than worth it. If you want you can add ground beef but I like them just the way they are! For the spaghetti sauce I use my left over 5 Hour Spaghetti Sauce which makes this delicious recipe even better!

Manicotti

1 pint part-skim ricotta cheese

16 ounces shredded Mozzarella cheese

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

salt and black pepper to taste

16 ounces spaghetti sauce (this is where my left over 5 hour sauce comes in)

5 1/2 ounce box manicotti pasta, I like to use the shells because it is easier to stuff them than the manicotti noodles

1. Preheat oven to 350. Cook pasta in very salty boiling water for half the amount of time that is specified on the box, if it says to cook for 14 minutes only cook for 7, once it has cooked for half the time remove and drain and immediately immerse in a large bowl of ice water. This will shock the pasta and stop the cooking process so the shells will be easier to stuff and bake properly in the oven. 

2. In bowl combine ricotta cheese, 12 ounces of Mozzarella, and 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Add in eggs, salt, pepper, and parsley and mix until well blended.

3.  Pour spaghetti in the bottom of a 11x17 inch casserole dish filling until it is about an inch deep.

4. Stuff each shell with about 2 tablespoons of cheese mixture and arrange over sauce.

5. Pour remaining spaghetti sauce over the top of the shells and top with remaining cheeses. 

6. Cover shells with tin foil and bake for 45 minutes, remove foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until cheese is slightly browned.