Keyword: Cheese filled Manicotti, Italian Sausage, Manicotti, Meat Sauce
Servings: 6servings
Calories:
Equipment
large saucepan
Wooden Spoon
large glass bowl
Large Sauce Pot or Pasta Pot
Colander
9 x 13 Baking Dish with Cover
Ingredients
Italian Sausage Tomato Sauce
2tbspolive oil
8ounceshot italian sausage
8ouncessweet italian sausage
1cupchopped onion
2tbspminced garlic
16 oz. can of tomato paste
228-oz. can of crushed tomatoes
1tspsugar
2tsporegano
2tspdried basil
salt and pepper
Cheese Mixture
2cupsricotta cheese
1-1/2cupshredded mozzarella
1cupgrated parmesan
1egg, lightly beaten
1/4cupminced parsley
Pasta
18 oz., package manicotti
Instructions
Italian Sausage Tomato Sauce
Heat oil in a pan over medium heat and then add sausage. Add the onions and cook until translucent. Stirring the whole time so they don't burn. Then add your sausage, breaking it up with the wooden spoon. Stir until the meat is browned.
Add the garlic to the meat and onion mixture and cook for one more minute. Then add the tomato paste and cook for another minute, string the whole time. Add the crushed tomatoes, sugar, oregano, basil, 1 tsp., of salt, and 1/2 tsp., of pepper. Bring the mixture to a low boil and then turn it down to a simmer. Let simmer for 30 minutes.
Cheese Mixture
While the sauce is simmering, mix together all the ingredients for the cheese mixture in a large bowl and allow it to sit at room temperature so that it is easy to work with.
Preheat oven to 375°
Pasta
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the manicotti for just 5 minutes. You want it to be slightly softened but still holding its shape so you can fill it with cheese.
Drain into a colander. Let cool for a few minutes.
Assembling the Dish
Spray the bottom of a casserole dish or glass baking dish with cooking spray.
Put 1/2 of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a baking dish.
Using a small spoon, work the cheese mixture into the manicotti noodles. I start at one side and fill 1/2 way and then turn it and fill the other half of the noodle. Place the cheese-filled manicotti noodles over the tomato sauce.
Once you've filled enough noodles to fill your pan then cover the manicotti with the remainder of the sauce.
Cover and Bake in the oven for 40 minutes. Uncover and add more mozzarella and parmesan to the top (if desired), increase heat to 425°, and put the uncovered dish back into the oven for 10 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and slightly browned. If you don't have a covered dish, just use aluminum foil.