Ricotta Manicotti with Tomato Sauce

By kscribner

Serves 6
Prep time: 45 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

• Coarse salt and ground pepper (6-inch)
• 1 package (8 ounces) manicotti, cooked, drained, and cooled
• 2 containers (15 ounces each) part-skim ricotta cheese
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 ounce dried mushrooms, such as shiitake, soaked and drained, and finely chopped
• 4 cups Basic Tomato Sauce (below)
• Basic Tomato Sauce
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 cans (28 ounces) whole tomatoes in juice
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• Coarse salt and ground pepper

Preparation

Step 1

Cook pasta, drain, and cool. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together ricotta, eggs, thyme, oregano, and 1 cup Parmesan. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir in mushrooms.

Using a plastic bag for filling, stuff cooled pasta shells (about 3 tablespoons ricotta mixture in each). Coat bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with 2 cups tomato sauce. Line up manicotti in baking dish, and cover with 2 cups sauce. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan. Bake until bubbly, about 30 minutes.


Tomato Sauce

In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Cook 1 small diced onion and 2 minced garlic cloves, stirring frequently, until translucent, 2 to 4 minutes.

Add two 28-ounce cans whole tomatoes in juice and 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano. Simmer, stirring occasionally, breaking up tomatoes with a spoon, until thickened, 20 to 30 minutes. Season with coarse salt and ground pepper.