Manicotti with Tomato Sauce Recipe

Manicotti with Tomato Sauce Recipe

To make the Stuffing:

1/2 lb. of ground beef
1 lightly beaten egg
1 minced clove of garlic
1/2 tsp. of salt
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 cup of ricotta cheese
1/2 tsp. of crumbled dried oregano
4 ozs. grated mozzarella cheese

In a skillet, cook and brown the garlic and beef in the olive oil. Then, drain any excess fat & put the garlic and beef in a bowl.

Add in mozzarella and ricotta cheeses, oregano, salt & the egg then set it aside. Time to make the sauce.

To make the Sauce:

1 (2-lb.) can of whole tomatoes
1/2 cup of onions, chopped
1/2 lb. of sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup of tomato puree
1/2 tsp. of crumbled dried basil
1/2 cup of green bell peppers, chopped
2 minced garlic cloves
1/2 cup of olive oil
1 tsp. of salt
1/2 tsp. of crumbled dried oregano
1 tsp. of sugar

In a skillet, heat olive oil and saute bell peppers, garlic and onions until the onions become translucent. Add in the rest of the ingredients and be sure to mix them well.

Simmer this mixture for an hour or more (the longer it simmers, the better it will be) and also adjust the taste of the sauce.

To prepare the dish: Oven should be preheated to around 350′ F. In a pot of salty boiling water, cook around 8 pcs. of manicotti until they are cooked but still firm making sure that they don’t become overcooked.

Drain well then let it cool.

Fill up the manicottis with the stuffing then place them in a shallow dish for baking that has been buttered already. Cover the manicotti shells with the sauce then sprinkle grated parmesan on the top.

Bake in the oven covered with a foil for about 15 mins. Afterwards, take off the foil & continue to bake it for 10 mins. more until the dish has been heated thoroughly and it is already bubbling.