Spinach and Cheese Manicotti

A word from the cook
Wow your family and guests with this dish!
Ingredients

1- 8 oz. package manicotti, cooked according to package with olive oil to prevent sticking. Drain and lay flat on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Filling:
1- 10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, cooked, drained and blotted dry
1- 15 oz. tub ricotta cheese
2 c. mozzarella cheese, grated, divided
½ c. parmesan cheese
2 large eggs
½ t. salt
¼ tsp. nutmeg
dash of ground black pepper

Simple Tomato Sauce:
1 ½ Tbsp. olive oil
1- 28 oz. can tomato sauce
1- 14 oz. can tomato sauce
4 large garlic cloves, minced
½ t. dried basil
¼ t. dried oregano
ground black pepper to taste

Garnish:
Fresh Italian parsley, chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a medium sauce, heat the olive oil and sauté the garlic, careful not to burn it. Add the tomato sauce and the rest of the ingredients. Heat on simmer for 10 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese and the other two cheeses and 2 eggs. Mix well. Add the salt, nutmeg and pepper. Mix well. Add the spinach and combine well.

In a large 13×9 baking dish, ladle a layer of tomato sauce on the bottom. With a small spoon, fill the manicotti with the filling (I like to fill the manicotti half way, turn it and fill the other half.). Lay the filled manicotti in the tomato sauce in the baking dish. Continue, laying the manicotti side by side. When they are all filled. Top the manicotti with rest of the tomato sauce. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover; top with 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Garnish with chopped fresh Italian parsley. Serve warm.

 

0 Notes

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