Ingredients
- 8 dry manicotti shells
- 15-ounce container (2 cups) fat free ricotta cheese
- 4 ounces (about 1-1/4 cups) finely shredded low-fat
- mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated reduced-fat parmesan cheese, divided
- 2 egg whites
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
- Â1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
- 2-1/4 cups Nan's Marinara Sauce (see next page) or another low-fat marinara sauce
Preparation
Step 1
Cook the pasta according to package directions. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place a sheet of waxed paper large enough to hold 8 filled manicotti shells on a flat work surface.
In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta, mozzarella, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, egg whites, parsley and garlic. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Transfer the filling to a sturdy medium re-sealable freezer (or other sturdy) plastic bag. Cut the corner from the bag. Place the cut end of the bag into one end of one of the pasta tubes. Squeeze the bag and fill the tube about 3/4 full. Flip it and continue filling from the other side until it is full. Then place the tube on the waxed paper. Continue with the remaining tubes. If filling remains, add equal amounts to each.
Spoon about 1/2 cup of the sauce into a 11x7-inch glass baking dish or casserole dish large enough to hold the stuffed tubes in a single layer. Spread the sauce to evenly cover the bottom. Lay the stuffed tubes side by side in the dish. Spoon the remaining sauce over the top. Then sprinkle the remaining parmesan evenly over the top of that. Cover the pan or dish with foil and bake the manicotti for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and cook the manicotti an additional 10 minutes or until heated through. Let it stand 5 minutes before serving.
Makes 4 servings.