February 8, 2010
Manicotti
Another Italian classic that’s great as a side dish or as the main meal, stuffed with cheeses and hidden spinach.
What you’ll need
| 1 pkg | 12 to 14 | Manicotti Pasta |
| 3 C | or 24 oz | Ricotta Cheese |
| 1 C | grated | Parmesan Cheese |
| 1 | whole | Egg |
| 1 tsp | dried | Oregano |
| 1/2 tsp | dried | Powder Garlic |
| 1/2 tsp | freshly | Ground Pepper |
| 1/4 tsp | grated | Nutmeg |
| 10 oz | frozen | Chopped Spinach |
| 6 oz | sliced | Black Olives |
| 3 T | Olive Oil | |
| 1 jar | or 26 oz | Marinara Pasta Sauce |
| 8 oz | shredded | Mozzarella Cheese |
How to make it
Preheat oven to 365° F.
Cook pasta 2 minutes less than done. Drain, rinse, then set aside. Pour and swirl the olive oil and 1/2 cup of marinara around the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Defrost spinach by running cold water over it and draining or microwave low, let cool. Either way, make sure spinach is drained completely. Mix together ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, and beaten egg. Add seasonings then mix. Stir in the spinach and fold in the olives.
Empty entire mix into a 1 gallon plastic food bag and seal tightly. Cut 3/4 inch (2cm) off a corner. Stick the corner half way into a manicotti tube and slowly squeeze the mixture in; ease out as the tube fills. Fill generously but remember the mixture will expand in cooking.
Place filled tube into pan. Pour and distribute marinara over the entire pan. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and olives. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Place pan on the middle rack and bake for 45 minutes or until you can hear bubbling. Be careful when removing the foil as steam can burn. Let cool no less than 5 minutes before serving.
No comments yet