I've had some Manicotti Pasta in the pantry, crying out to be used.. These are large tubes of pasta, designed to be stuffed with ingredients Italian in flavor. I don't make the traditional stuffing, I add meat- Italian seasoned ground beef!
My filling is as follows:
1. 1lb. of cooked, seasoned ground beef.
2. 1lb. of Ricotta cheese.
3. 1 egg.
4. 6oz. of Parmesan cheese, finely grated.
5. 4oz. of red sauce.
Mix all this, and filling is ready for, well, filling!
While you were doing all that, you should have been boiling the pasta to Al Dente, then shocking in a bath of cold water, until quite cool..
This is where I use a Jerky gun, with a nozzle designed to make slim jims, as a filler tool, to keep the pasta tubes neat and full!
Put filled tubes in pan lubed with olive oil, as seen in photo..
Coat with 8oz. of red pasta sauce you either made or bought..
Sprinkle with grated Parmesan and Romano cheeses lightly- more to flavor and thicken red sauce!
Bake at 350F for 30 minutes, then sprinkle with shredded Mozzarella to taste(I used about 6oz.)..
Bake for another 15 minutes, let set for 5 minutes..
You just made the best Manicotti you ever had! The one plate on redneck china, is my youngest son's "We deliver!" lunch.. he works Sundays, and works a mile from our house- so we bring him a plate..
My gooey version looks better than the one one the Manicotti box- don't cha think? :)
Later, I have to make a banana/walnut/cranberry bread you may enjoy..
