Manicotti Recipe

Manicotti Recipe

from willcookforsmiles.com
100 min
6 servings

Manicotti is a comforting classic Italian dish made with tube shaped pasta stuffed with a ricotta cheese mixture and baked in homemade marinara sauce with extra cheese on top.

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 Vidalia onion
  • 2 medium carrots
  • 5-6 garlic cloves
  • 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup minced fresh basil
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tbsp white granulated sugar
  • 2 bay leaves
  • salt (to taste)
  • 8 oz manicotti pasta shells
  • 20 oz whole milk ricotta cheese
  • 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 egg (whisked)
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 2 tbsp minced fresh basil
  • 1 tbsp minced fresh parsley
  • 1 tsp salt (more or less to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese (for topping)
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (for topping)

Directions

  1. 1

    Preheat a Dutch oven over medium heat and add olive oil. Saute diced onions, carrots, and garlic first until softened. Add canned tomatoes, bay leaves, oregano, sugar, and salt.

  2. 2

    Bring a pot of water to boil and salt it. Cook pasta in salted boiling water for 6 minutes, drain off water, and set pasta shells aside on a clean cutting board to cool down.

  3. 3

    Spread about a cup and a half of marinara sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Set aside.

  4. 4

    Preheat the oven to 350° and lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.