Manicotti--Kind of Harder Than it Looks

The Story: 

Manicotti is a totally simple concept, right?  Boil a noodle, stuff it full of cheese, cover it in sauce, and bake it.  What could possibly be hard about that?

Yeah, so Matt and I decided manicotti sounded good this week and I went for it.  Part way through the process I sort of remembered how when my mom made manicotti one time for Once-a-Month Cooking she ended up crying and swore she'd never make it again.  So, why am I posting this and sharing the recipe?  Because, honestly, it's tricky but doable and delicious, and I want to record the tricks I used and what I'll do differently next time. 

So, moral of the story?  Tricky, but delicious and manageable.



The Recipe:

Manicotti
salt
1 package manicotti noodles (I think it's like 8 or 10 ounces)
18 ounces Ricotta cheese
1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 cup cottage cheese (Matt wouldn't eat this cottage cheese because it was 2% and he said it was nasty, so I sneaked it into dinner!  Diabolical, no?)
2 eggs
garlic salt
pepper
1-2 tablespoons dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon basil
two handfuls fresh spinach, chopped
3 cups prepared spaghetti sauce (see below for homemade recipe)

In a large Dutch oven, salt and boil water.  Parboil noodles about 6 minutes.  (Note:  I boiled the heck outta my noodles and they split in half--oops--which also works okay, you just spoon on the filling, wrap 'em up, and put them seam-down in the dish.  Then cook them for about 30-40 minutes at 300° F).

While noodles boil, mix eggs, cheeses, spinach, and spices to taste. 

Grease a 9"x13" dish and spread a thin layer of spaghetti sauce on bottom of dish.

Drain noodles, then fill each tube with cheese mixture, and place in baking dish.  It's okay if they overlap on each other a little bit.  Top with sauce and any remaining cheese mixture.  You can also add some shredded cheese, fresh mozzarella, etc. on top, if you wish. 

Bake at 450° F for 30 minutes, or until bubbly and hot.


Creamy Vegetable Spaghetti Sauce (roughly from these girls, who are brilliant)
1 tablespoon butter, olive oil, or bacon grease
1/4 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, pressed
15 ounces tomato sauce (or 12 ounces smushed fresh tomatoes)
1/2 can black olives, chopped
1 can sliced mushrooms
two handfuls spinach, chopped
1 tablespoon basil
1 tablespoon oregano
garlic salt
1/4 cup half-and-half or milk (or so)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

In a medium saucepan, saute onion and garlic in oil or grease.  Add tomato sauce, spices, and vegetables, and simmer for a few minutes.  Add half-and-half until desired creaminess is reached.  Add Parmesan. Mix and simmer another minute or two, and serve.



The Verdict:

This is really pretty yummy, and, if done right, has your carbs, protein, and vegetables all in one dish.  But we ate it with garlic bread, too, and a salad would probably have been nice, or some asparagus or green beans.

Don't be scared.  You can do it!