Tasty Thursday

Ready for another recipe?  I just made this one about 3 weeks ago and of course I didn't take any pictures.  I've got to get better at that.  Anyway, it's Old-World Manicotti.  It's kind of putzy but worth it.  I make my own spaghetti sauce but the recipe actually calls for jarred.  My family gives me no mercy if I used jarred sauce.  They claim I've spoiled them for any other.  I'll share that at another time, but in the meantime, use a good jarred sauce, not a cheap one.  

Old-World Manicotti

12 large manicotti shells

4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

2 cups ricotta cheese

2 tablespoons dried basil, or 6 tablespoons fresh, chopped

1 jar spaghetti sauce, divided

1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese 

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray 13 x 9 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.  

Cook pasta according to package directioins.  Drain, rinse with cool water.  Let pasta dry on paper towels.

For filling, in large bowl, stir together 3 cups mozzarella with ricotta, and basil.  Using a teaspoon carefully stuff pasta shells with cheese mixture.  

Spoon 2 cups spaghetti sauce into prepared baking dish.  Arrange stuffed pasta over sauce.  Pour remaining sauce over top of pasta.  Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella.

Bake manicotti for 15 minutes.  Sprinkle with the Parmesan.  Bake for 10 minutes longer.  Serve immediately.

Optional:  I typically add 1 pound Italian sausage in with the cheese mixture, while decreasing the mozzarella cheese from 3 cups to 2 cups.  Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella over the top of the shells.  By adding the Italian sausage, it will make more than 12 manicotti shells.  

These are great if you have company and need to make them ahead of time.  Just heat in the oven for a longer time, until they are hot in the middle.  They also freeze well.  My girls brought them back to college with them.  All I did was wrap 1-2 in a piece of foil and place them in the freezer.  Now all they have to do is take out of the freezer in the morning and that night they have a home-cooked meal, made with love from their mom.  

Hope you try it.  They are worth the time.

Until next time...Stampin' Always

Cheryl, HomeStyle Stamper