Hey Amy!

I sometimes wonder if I have a little Italian blood in me because I love Italian food.  I have tried for years to perfect my sauce; that should clearly be the sign there is no Italian in me.  I love this dish and have been making it for years.  I cannot recall where I got the recipe but it’s not nearly as hard as you may think.  The best part about it is we always have leftovers for lunch the next day.  My vegetarian friends can omit the beef and the dish is still delish!

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, pressed
1- 28 oz. jar spaghetti sauce
1/4 tsp. dried crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1- 15 oz. ricotta cheese
1- 3 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 large egg
2/3 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 c. Italian style shredded cheese
8 manicotti shells, cooked

Preheat oven to 350.  Cook shells according to package instructions.  Drain, separate and set aside.

Cook first 3 ingredients in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, stirring until beef crumbles and is no longer pink; drain.  Return mixture to skillet.  Stir in spaghetti sauce, crushed red pepper, and salt; simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 to 10 minutes until sauce thickens.

Stir together ricotta cheese, next 3 ingredients, and half of shredded cheese.  Pour one-fourth of sauce into a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish.  Stuff shells with cheese mixture, and arrange over sauce.  Top with remaining sauce.

Bake, covered, for 45 minutes.  Uncover, top with remaining cheese and return to oven for 5 additional minutes.  Enjoy!

I use my pastry bag to stuff the shells.  It comes out easy and doesn’t break the shells.  Don’t over stuff or you will break the pasta.  If you don’t have a pastry bag, spoon the cheese mixture into a large zip-top plastic bag and snip off the corner.  Viola, instant pastry bag!

xo–me

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