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Pat's Stuffed Manicotti

Source of Recipe

My original recipe.


List of Ingredients

2 Tblsp. olive oil
1-1/2 tsp. minced garlic
2 cans (35 oz. each) plum tomatoes, drained & broken up
2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1-1/2 lbs. Italian sausage
2 containers (15 oz. each) ricotta cheese
2 Tblsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg
16 manicotti noodles, cooked to firm stage & drained
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz.)



Recipe

For sauce, heat oil in Dutch oven. Add garlic; cook 3 minutes until lightly golden. Add remaining sauce ingredients and bring to a simmer. Simmer uncovered, stirring often, 20 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Meanwhile, remove sausage casings and brown meat in skillet, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon. Drain off fat and put meat in a medium-sized bowl. Let stand about 5 minutes to cool slightly. Add ricotta, parmesan, and the egg; mix with wooden spoon until blended.

Have 2 shallow 2-quart baking dishes ready. Lining with foil is optional (but a good idea!).

Spread 1/4 cup sauce in bottom of each dish. Fill manicotti shells, using 2 Tblsp. sausage mixture for each. Arrange shells in single layer for each prepared dish. Top each dish with half the remaining sauce, about 2 cups.

Heat oven to 375° F. Cover baking dish with foil. Bake 30 minutes until hot and bubbly. Uncover; sprinkle top with 1 cup mozzarella and bake 15 minutes more or until cheese is melted and lightly browned.