Manicotti

 

If you’re planning a Sunday dinner or craving some cozy Italian fare, try ricotta cheese stuffed manicotti smothered in delicious marinara sauce. This is my all-time favorite Italian meal. Large stuffed ridged pasta tubes are easy to prepare. Although I usually make my own marinara sauce, I sometimes use store-bought marinara and skip the pre-cooking of manicotti shells for a quick and delicious meal. 

Ingredients

1 carton (15 ounces) ricotta cheese

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

 2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

1 cup grated Parmesan/Romano cheese, divided

4 cups marinara sauce

1/2 cup water

1 package (8 ounces) manicotti shells

Additional minced fresh parsley, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, mix the first 6 ingredients; stir in 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/2 cup Parmesan Romano cheese. In another bowl, mix marinara sauce and water; spread 3/4 cup sauce onto the bottom of a 13x9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Fill uncooked manicotti shells with ricotta mixture; arrange over sauce. Top with the remaining sauce.

Bake, covered, until pasta is tender, 50 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella and 1/2 cup Parmesan Romano cheese. Bake, uncovered, until cheese is melted, 10-15 minutes longer. If desired, top with additional parsley.

Elizabeth Kilbride is a Writer and Editor with forty years of experience in writing, with 12 of those years in the online content sphere. Author of 5 books and a Graduate with an Associate of Arts degree in Business Management, a bachelor’s in mass communication and cyber-analysis, a master’s in criminology with emphasis on Cybercrime and Identity Theft, and is currently studying for her Ph.D. degree in Criminology. Her work portfolio includes coverage of politics, current affairs, elections, history, and true crime. Elizabeth is also a gourmet cook, life coach, and avid artist in her spare time, proficient in watercolor, acrylic, oil, pen and ink, gouache, and pastels. As a political operative who has worked on over 300 campaigns during her career, Elizabeth has turned many life events into books and movie scripts while using history to weave interesting storylines. She also runs 7 blogs ranging from art to life coaching, food, writing, Gardening, and opinion or history pieces each week.

Italian Cuisine, Mediterranean, Kilbride, Potpourri of Frugality, Homemade, Do it yourself