Stuffed Manicotti With Sausage And Spinach Food

STUFFED MANICOTTI WITH SAUSAGE AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a 13x9-inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
• Put a large pot of water on the stove top and heat on medium-low while preparing the sauce.

MANICOTTI WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepot over medium heat. Cook the sausage, breaking it up into small pieces, until browned and caramelized, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the sausage to a paper towel-lined plate and reserve for the filling.
• Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pot and cook the onion until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute (the tomato paste will turn a deep maroon color). Add the crushed tomatoes, sugar, bay leaves, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a pinch of black pepper. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low and cook for 30 minutes. Melt the butter into the sauce, remove the bay leaves and stir in 1/3 cup of basil. Remove the sauce from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature, 40 minutes.
• For the filling: mix together the ricotta, reserved sausage, the remaining 1/3 cup basil, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, 1 1/2 cups Parmesan, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Fold in 1 cup of the cooled tomato sauce. Place the filling in a large piping bag and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the manicotti shells until they have softened slightly but still hold their tubular shape, 5 minutes.
• Pour half of the tomato sauce into a broiler-proof 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Fill each shell with the ricotta mixture. Place the filled shells in the baking dish. Pipe any extra filling along the ends of the shells in the dish. Top with the remaining tomato sauce and sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups mozzarella and 1 cup Parmesan over the top. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake until the sauce begins to bubble, 40 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven, remove the foil and increase the oven to 425 degrees F. Put the manicotti back into the oven to bake until the cheese is browned and bubbling, about 10 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

SHORTCUT SAUSAGE-STUFFED MANICOTTI WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1 cup of the pasta sauce in dish. To remaining sauce in jar, add water and mix well.
• Cut sausage links in half lengthwise; remove casings. Shape each piece of sausage into roll; stuff into uncooked pasta shell. Place stuffed shells on sauce in dish. Pour remaining pasta sauce mixture over shells.
• Cover tightly with foil; bake 1 hour 20 minutes. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses; bake uncovered 10 minutes longer or until cheeses are melted and pasta is tender. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

MEATY SPINACH MANICOTTI

Steps:

• Cook manicotti according to package directions. Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan. Stir in the flour until smooth; gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in Parmesan cheese until melted; set aside. Drain manicotti; set aside. , In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add the chicken, spinach, eggs, mozzarella cheese and 3/4 cup white sauce. Stuff into manicotti shells. , Spread 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce in each of two ungreased 13x9-in. baking dishes. Top with manicotti. Pour remaining spaghetti sauce over the top. , Reheat the remaining white sauce, stirring constantly. Pour over spaghetti sauce. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the filling reads 160°. Sprinkle with parsley.

SPINACH CHEESE MANICOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a large bowl, combine ricotta, spinach, onion and egg. Season with parsley, pepper and garlic powder. Mix in 1 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan. In a separate bowl, stir together spaghetti sauce and water.
• Spread 1 cup sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Stuff uncooked manicotti shells with ricotta mixture, and arrange in a single layer in the dish. Cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.
• Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes, or until noodles are soft.

MANICOTTI ALLA ROMANA

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onions until translucent. Saute garlic for 1 minute and stir in ground beef. Cook until well browned and crumbled. Season with salt and set aside to cool.
• Cook spinach according to package directions. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add manicotti shells and parboil for half of the time recommended on the package. Drain and cover with cool water to stop the cooking process and prevent the shells from cracking.
• To the ground beef mixture add the cooked spinach and ricotta cheese. When the mixture is cool, add the beaten eggs. Spread 1/4 cup spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Gently drain the manicotti shells and carefully stuff each one with the meat and cheese mixture; place shells in prepared dish. Lightly cover the dish with plastic wrap or a clean, damp towel to prevent shells from cracking.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Prepare the white sauce by melting the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and chicken bouillon. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring constantly, until it begins to bubble. Stir in half and half and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in parsley. Pour or ladle the sauce evenly over the stuffed shells.
• Stir the basil into the remaining spaghetti sauce. Carefully pour or ladle spaghetti sauce over the white sauce, trying to layer the sauces without mixing.
• Cover and bake for 40 minutes. Remove from oven, uncover and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes more.

SAUSAGE SPINACH MANICOTTI

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine 1 cup mozzarella cheese, cottage cheese, spinach, Parmesan cheese, egg, oregano and garlic; stuff into uncooked manicotti shells. Place in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish., Crumble sausage into a large skillet; cook over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce; pour over manicotti. Pour water along sides of pan. , Cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Bake 5-8 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

HEALTHY SPINACH AND SAUSAGE STUFFED MANICOTTI

Steps:

• Combine onion, green pepper, garlic, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, thyme, basil, oregano, red pepper in a medium sauce pan over medium high heat. When heated through reduce heat to low and cover. (simmer about 1 hour).
• Preheat oven to 350.
• Heat teaspoons of olive oil in a skillet and saute spinach until wilted. Set aside to cool. When cool chop the spinach.
• Add sausage to skillet spinach was in and cook until browned. Drain.
• In a bowl, combine spinach, cheeses, sausage.
• Place a layer of sauce in the bottom of a 13 by 9 pan.
• Stuff noodles with cheese, spinach, and sausage and place in pan.
• Top with the rest of the sauce.
• Bake 350 for 30 to 45 minutes.

SPINACH AND PORCINI STUFFED MANICOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a heatproof bowl soak the porcini in the water for 15 minutes. Drain the porcini, reserving the liquid, pat dry and chop fine. Strain reserved soaking liquid through a double thickness of dampened cheesecloth into a bowl.
• In a skillet set over moderate heat cook the onion in the butter, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
• Add the spinach, garlic and mushrooms and cook, stirring, 3 to 4 minutes, or until heated through. Transfer mixture to a bowl, add remaining ingredients (using only 1/2 cup of locatelli) and gently stir to combine well.
• Cook the manicotti in boiling salted water until just al dente. With a slotted spoon transfer to a bowl of cold water, drain and pat dry. Gently stuff shells with filling and arrange in a buttered baking dish.
• Make the sauce: In a saucepan set over moderately low heat melt the butter, add the flour and cook the mixture, whisking, for 2 minutes. Add the milk and reserved mushroom liquid and bring to a simmer, whisking. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper and simmer, whisking occasionally, for 5 minutes.
• Spoon the sauce over the manicotti, sprinkle with the remaining locatelli and bake, covered with foil for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10-15 minutes longer. Let rest 5 minutes. Sprinkle with snipped fresh chives.

SAUSAGE-STUFFED MANICOTTI

Steps:

• Boil manicotti noodles 8 minutes and drain; set aside.
• Meanwhile make the filling by combining sausage, 1 cup mozzarella, 1 cup provolone, breadcrumbs and eggs.
• Pour 3/4 cup sauce into a greased 9x13 baking dish and spread so it covers the whole bottom of the dish.
• Stuff manicotti with the filling.
• Arrange the filled manicotti in the baking dish in a single layer (you may need an additional 8 inch square baking dish for all of the manicotti or use a large lasagna baking dish, if you prefer. Sometimes I freeze the remaining stuffed manicotti shells to use for another meal or snack).
• Top the manicotti with the remaining spaghetti sauce.
• Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes.
• Uncover and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella, provolone and parmesan cheese.
• Bake for another 5-10 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
• Enjoy.

STUFFED PASTA MANICOTTI WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350ºF.
• Cook manicotti as directed on package, omitting salt. Meanwhile, brown crumbled sausage in large skillet; drain. Remove from heat. Stir in reduced-fat cream cheese, ricotta, milk, Italian seasoning, parsley and 2 Tbsp. Parmesan.
• Drain manicotti; stuff with sausage mixture. Spread 1 cup pasta sauce onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish; top with manicotti and remaining sauce.
• Bake 30 min. or until heated through, topping with mozzarella and remaining Parmesan for the last 5 min.