Three Cheese Manicotti

 Three Cheese Manicotti

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 “Marty, you don’t add enough cheese,” said no one ever.  I have a thing for cheese so I drown my recipes in tons of cheese, glorious cheese.  This Three Cheese Manicotti is a great example.  Perfectly cooked Manicotti pasta filled with a mix of spinach and ricotta, and covered with mozzarella and parmesan cheese.  Oh my goodness this is so good.  Serve with some crusty Italian bread and a simple side salad and you’ve got a restaurant quality meal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three Cheese Spinach Manicotti

1 package (8 ounces) manicotti shells

5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

2 cups ricotta cheese

1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 egg

2 tablespoons dried basil

1 box of frozen spinach, thawed and all liquid removed 

1 jar (26 ounces) Ragu Chunky Tomato, Garlic and Onion pasta sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add manicotti and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente and then drain (optional: drizzle lightly with oil to prevent the noodles from sticking). Remove from heat and set aside on wax paper or parchment paper to cool.

 

 

 

 

Thaw the frozen spinach and wrap in a clean towel.  Squeeze out all liquid until as dry as possible.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a large bowl, mix the spinach, 3 cups of the mozzarella cheese, 2 cups of the ricotta cheese and one cup of Parmesan cheese together.  Add the garlic, egg, and basil. Mix well until all ingredients are combined.

  

 

 

 

 

Stuff the cooked manicotti noodles with the cheese mixture. Use a piping bag or make your own by filling a resealable bag with the mixture, seal it tight and then twist it so that the filling is at the bottom. Then snip the corner so that it fits into the manicotti for filling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

Spread about 2 cups pasta sauce over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Arrange stuffed manicotti in the dish side by side so they are touching. Cover with remaining sauce. Cover the top with the remaining 2 cups of mozzarella cheese.  You can actually add as much as you want.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

Bake 25-30 minutes in the preheated oven. until mozzarella is melted and bubbly and slightly brown.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Can I Freeze this Three Cheese Manicotti?

Yes, but only before you cook it.  I love to make this in advance so I can pop it in the oven in a pinch! To freeze manicotti just cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for up to 3 months.  When you’re ready to eat it, just let it thaw 15 minutes and then follow the cooking instructions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photography is the property of and copyrighted to Welcome Home.

My Classic Lasagna

My Classic Lasagna

 

 

 

Yesterday was a day to stay in and bake.  Freezing cold temperatures, high winds, rain, snow and then ice and then more snow and rain.  It looked like I wasn’t going anywhere and so I built a fire and put on some music and went to the kitchen.  I checked the fridge and the pantry and decided to make something so delicious it would take my mind off the weather.  I decided to make comfort food but what would it be.   

I stared at the pantry for a bit and then headed over to the refrigerator and found all the ingredients to make my delicious Classic Lasagna.  That would be so good for dinner and then I’ll freeze leftovers for another cold day.  How does one make a homemade lasagna that tastes truly authentic?   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

It’s all in the sauce. Sometimes I make my own. But yesterday I used my favorite store-bought sauce: Ragu Chunky Tomato, Garlic and Onion.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I actually like it better than my homemade.  Oh, it’s not that I couldn’t make my own sauce, I just like Ragu Chunky sauces better for the recipes I made. Now that’s not a plug for a company product.  That’s just my opinion.  When it comes to making the best Lasagna, I take no other shortcuts but Ragu.  Its just that good.

 

My Classic Lasagna

 9-12 lasagna noodles

 Meat Sauce

1 (48 ounce) jar Ragu Chunky Tomato, Garlic and Onion

1 tablespoon Olive Oil

1 yellow onion diced

3 cloves garlic minced

1 pound ground chuck

1/2 teaspoons dried basil

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the cheese layer:

 2 cups whole milk mozzarella cheese grated

1 large egg

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

15 ounces container or two cups whole milk ricotta cheese

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375° degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the lasagna noodles and cook according to package directions for a little less than the minimum cook time. I usually cook them for 7 minutes. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Drain the noodles and rinse them with cold water. Lay down parchment paper or wax paper on your counter and lay the noodles out to keep them from sticking together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a fork. I like to leave some larger pieces.  Continue to cook until ground beef is no longer pink.  Add the salt and pepper. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add the Ragu, Italian seasoning and parsley to the skillet of ground beef and stir. Bring sauce to a simmer and then reduce the temperature to low. Taste to make sure it is seasoned to your liking.  Cover and cook at a low simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Make your cheese filling while the sauce is simmering.  Crack an egg into a medium bowl and beat lightly with a fork. Add the basil, parsley, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and stir to combine.  Mix in the ricotta, Mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese and stir. Set aside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To assemble the lasagna,

Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with non-stick spray.  Spoon a cup of the sauce on the bottom. Next lay 3 noodles in an even layer over the sauce and then spread about a third of the remaining sauce over the noodles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Using a spoon, drop about half the cheese mixture on top of that layer of sauce and spread it with the back of the spoon or an offset spatula.  Sprinkle a cup of Mozzarella on top.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Repeat those same steps for another layer, using 3 noodles, ½ of the remaining sauce, the remaining ricotta and ½ the remaining and ½ of the remaining Parmesan. For the top layer of the lasagna, use the remaining 3 noodles, the rest of the sauce, and finally the rest of the mozzarella and Parmesan.

Cover the lasagna with a piece of foil that has been sprayed with cooking spray on the underside (to prevent the cheese from sticking to the foil). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

To Bake:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Bake 45 minutes with foil on. Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes or until cheese has browned and everything it hot all the way through. Remove from oven, cover lightly with foil and rest at least 20-30 minutes before cutting and serving. Sprinkle with dried parsley flakes or basil strips, cut into squares and serve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOTES AND TIPS

The longer you cook your meat sauce the more concentrated the flavors and the less liquid. If you want to cut perfect slices and not have a soupy mess on your hands, cooking your sauce until its very thick is a big step in the right direction.

 Boil your pasta for two-thirds of the time, according to package directions. Most lasagna pasta will cook for 9-11 minutes. I pull mine out at around 7 minutes. I don’t want to cook the noodles all the way through because once they hit the oven for baking, they can get mushier than al dente. So, draining them early means they will soak up any extra liquid in the sauce and after the hour in the oven, your pasta will be perfectly cooked, not mushy and help hold those beautiful layers together.

Don’t use fresh mozzarella. Instead, buy a block of whole milk mozzarella cheese and grate it yourself. Don’t use the pre-grated mozzarella cheese.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leftover lasagna can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days after baking. You can also freeze lasagna after baking, for up to 3 months. Thaw and then reheat in the microwave or in a covered dish in the oven until it is steaming hot.

To make ahead: You can assemble the lasagna ahead of time and refrigerate it, covered, for up to 24 hours before baking. If you are baking a lasagna that is fully chilled from being in the refrigerator, add about 15 minutes to the baking time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Freezer Instructions: You can assemble the lasagna and then freeze it before baking. Wrap the lasagna tightly before freezing, and freeze for up to 3 months. When you are ready to cook the lasagna, let it thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Then bake as directed in the recipe, adding about 15 minutes to the baking time since a lasagna that is cold from the refrigerator will take longer to heat through.

 

Photography is the property of and copyrighted to Welcome Home.

Sausage Cannelloni in Bechamel Sauce

 

 

I love this recipe.  It is one of our favorites because its so easy and quick to make and just bursting with flavor. I use turkey Italian sausage for my filler and lots of chopped up mushrooms and cheese.  Then I stuff the Cannelloni pasta BEFORE I cook it. So much easier that way and less messy. Finally, it bakes in a rich creamy Bechamel sauce.  OMG this is so good!

 

Sausage Cannelloni in Bechamel Sauce

 

1 box Cannelloni or Manicotti pasta

1 Italian Sausage (I use turkey Italian sausage)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

4 oz mushrooms, finely chopped

Salt and Pepper to taste

2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning

12 oz shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese divided

 

Bechamel Sauce

 

6 tablespoons butter

6 tablespoons flour

3 cups whole milk or half and half

1 teaspoon dried Oregano

 In a large skillet over medium heat add olive oil, onion and mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes allowing the onion to soften and the mushrooms to release liquid. Once most of the liquid has dissipated, add in the sausage. Use a wooden spoon to crumble and break up the bigger pieces. You want it small so it will be easier to stuff the pasta.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stir and continue to cook until the onion is softened and the sausage is no longer pink and is starting to brown. Add salt and pepper to taste along with the 1 teaspoon of the Italian seasoning.  Stir to combine and then transfer to a bowl and set aside. 

Bechamel sauce: 

 Melt butter over medium heat in the same skillet as you made the sausage. Add flour and stir until well incorporated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Slowly, add milk and whisk together until smooth. Continue whisking until sauce comes to a slow boil and starts to thicken. Season with salt and Pepper to taste and stir in the remaining teaspoon of Italian seasoning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Add in half (1/4 cup) of the Parmesan and 1/4 cup of the mozzarella and stir until cheese melts. Then remove from heat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Add about a quarter cup of the sauce into the sausage mixture you set aside earlier. Stir until everything is combined. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag or a plastic bag with the corner clipped.  Pipe the mixture into your uncooked pasta and set aside. You can also use a small spoon to fill the pasta tubes. Start from one end and using your finger to push the filling all the way through.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread a couple tablespoons of the bechamel sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 oiled baking dish. Nestle the filled cannelloni in the sauce and cover with remaining bechamel sauce.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Top with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese and a sprinkling of oregano.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes or until heated through; and cheese starts to turn golden. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remove from oven, let stand for 5 minutes then serve. 

 

Photography is the property of and copyrighted to Welcome Home.