Baked Manicotti

By pamdabear3383

Ingredients

• Sauce:
• 1 (14.5-oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 tsp table salt
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• Filling and Pasta:
• 8 oz whole-milk or part-skim ricotta cheese (about 1 cup)*
• 3 oz whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 3/4 cup)
• 2 oz Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1 cup)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 tsp table salt
• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
• 6 no-boil lasagna noodles*
• * We prefer Barilla no-boil lasagna noodles because their delicate texture makes them easy to roll into tubes. Do not substitute fat-free ricotta.

Details

Servings 2

Preparation

Step 1

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400degrees F.

2. For the Sauce: Process the tomatoes, with their juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper flakes (if using)together in a food processor until smooth, about 10 seconds. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the basil.

3. For the Filling and Pasta: Combine the ricotta, mozzarella, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, egg, basil, salt, and pepper in a bowl.

4. Fill a large bowl halfway with boiling water. Slip the noodles into the water, one at a time, and let them soak until pliable, about 5 minutes, separating them with the tip of a knife to prevent sticking. Remove the noodles from the water and place in a single layer on clean towels.

5. Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce over the bottom of a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan. Use a spoon to spread about 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture evenly over the bottom three-quarters of each noodle (with the short side facing you), leaving the top quarter of noodle exposed. Starting at the bottom, roll each noodle up around the filling, and lay in the prepared loaf pan, seam-side down. Spoon the remaining sauce evenly over the top, covering the pasta completely. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan.

6. Cover the dish with foil and bake until bubbling, about 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the cheese is lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.