best baked manicotti

A tried an true favorite.  This is one go to recipe when i need to take a meal over to someone.  From mel's kitchen cafe.

INGREDIENTS:

Tomato Sauce:
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes (in juice)
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 medium cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons dried basil

Cheese Filling and Pasta:
3 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 cups)
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (about 2 cups)
2 large eggs , lightly beaten
3/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves (or 2 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil (or 1 teaspoon dried basil)
16 no-boil lasagna noodles (I use the Barilla brand – apparently they are supposed to be the most similar to homemade pasta and I love them, both in this and in lasagna)

DIRECTIONS:
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat oil, garlic, and pepper flakes (if using) in large saucepan over medium heat until fragrant but not brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, basil and 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, 1 cup Parmesan chese, mozzarella cheese, eggs, salt, pepper, and herbs; set aside.

To assemble, pour 1 inch boiling water into 13 by 9-inch baking dish, then add noodles one at a time. Let noodles soak until pliable, about 5 minutes, separating noodles with tip of sharp knife to prevent sticking. Remove noodles from water and place in single layer on clean kitchen towels; discard water in baking dish and dry baking dish.

Spread bottom of baking dish evenly with 1 1/2 cups sauce. Using soupspoon, spread 1/4 cup cheese mixture evenly onto bottom three-quarters of each noodle (with short side facing you), leaving top quarter of noodle exposed. Roll into tube shape and arrange in baking dish seam side down. (You should be able to fit 8 manicotti in each row, allowing all 16 to fit in the dish). Top evenly with remaining sauce, making certain that pasta is completely covered.

Cover manicotti with aluminum foil. Bake until bubbling, about 40 minutes, then remove foil. Sprinkle manicotti evenly with remaining 1 cup Parmesan. Bake until cheese is browned and bubbly, about 6-7 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

The manicotti can be prepared right up until the baking step then covered with a sheet of parchment paper, wrapped in aluminum foil, and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month. (If frozen, thaw the manicotti in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days.) To bake, remove the parchment, replace the aluminum foil, and increase baking time to 1 to 1 1/4 hours.

Recipe Source: adapted from America’s Test Kitchen

Easy Meat Lasagna with Hearty Tomato-Meat Sauce

This is my favorite lasagna recipe.  Always turns out great!
(Cook's Illustrated)

Meat Sauce

In a dutch oven (I use a 5 qt. one for a single batch, or a 7 qt. one for a double), heat up:
     1 TB olive oil

Add and stir until softened (about 2 minutes):
     1 finely chopped medium onion

Add and stir until fragrant (about 30 seconds):
     6 minced medium garlic cloves

Add, stir, and cook about 4 minutes:
     1 pound mixture of ground beef, pork, or veal (I used 1/2 lb. ground beef and 1/2 pound     ground pork)
     1/2 tsp salt
     1/2 tsp pepper

Add, stir,  and bring to a simmer:
     1/4 C heavy cream
Cook until the liquid evaporates and just the fat is left (about 4 minutes).

Add, stir, and cook for about 3 more minutes:
     1 28 oz can tomato puree
     1 28 oz can diced tomatoes, drained

Set sauce aside.

Cheeses

Get out 1 small bowl, 1 medium bowl, and 1 large bowl.

Fill the small bowl with:
     1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese

Fill the medium bowl with:
     1 lb. shredded Mozzarella cheese

Fill the large bowl with:
     1 C grated Parmesan cheese
     15 oz whole-milk or part-skim ricotta cheese (I used part-skim) 
     1 slightly beaten egg
     1/2 C chopped fresh basil
     1/2 tsp salt
     1/2 tsp pepper
Mix together until creamy.  

Have on hand:
     12 no-boil lasagna noodles from an 8 or 9 oz pack (I used Ronzoni brand)

Assemble Lasagna

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Spread 1/4 C of the meat sauce over the bottom of a 9 x 13" baking dish.

Place 3 of the noodles on top of the sauce for the first layer.  Spread  blobs of ricotta cheese mixture across the noodles (about 3-4 TB per noodle).  Sprinkle some mozzarella on top of the ricotta (about 1 1/3 C per layer).    Spoon 1 1/2 C of the meat sauce over the cheeses, spreading evenly.

Repeat the layering process.  On top of the last three noodles, spread any remaining sauce, sprinkle with 1 1/3 C mozzarella, and then top with the 1/4 C of Parmesan in the small bowl.

Lightly spray a piece of foil with cooking spray and cover.

Cook, covered, for 15 minutes.  Remove foil, and continue cooking for about 25 minutes, until the cheese is a spotty brown and the sauce is bubbling. 

Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Freezing:  This freezes well.   Line your baking dish with foil, and prepare the lasagna.  Freeze the baking dish until the lasagna is frozen solid (overnight is great).  Remove the foil "package" from the dish, and wrap in heavy duty foil or vacuum pack with a FoodSaver.    To re-heat, remove the lasagna from the extra foil or the FoodSaver bag.  Place it back in the 9 x 13" pan and allow to defrost.    Follow the cooking directions above.

Spinach Lasagna Rolls

This is very very yummy!  I made it last night and we all loved it.  John even said it was, "good considering there is not much meat in it".  The white sauce base mixes with the marinara sauce and makes it creamy and yummy...

Adapted slightly from Giada De Laurentiis/The Food Network

Prep Time: 10 minutes    Cook Time: 45 minutes    Level: Intermediate   Serves: 6-8

For the sauce:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 2/3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Pinch ground nutmeg

For the lasagna:

• 1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
• 3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
• 1 large egg, beaten to blend
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for salting water
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 12 uncooked lasagna noodles
• 1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce (24 oz. size)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella (about 4 ounces)

To make the sauce: Melt the butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk. Increase the heat to medium-high. Whisk the sauce until it comes to a simmer and is thick and smooth, about 3 minutes. Whisk the salt, pepper, and nutmeg into the béchamel sauce. The sauce will continue to thicken as it stands.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

To make the lasagna: Stir the ricotta, spinach, 1 cup Parmesan, prosciutto, egg, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to blend.

Add a tablespoon or 2 of oil to a large pot of boiling salted water. Boil the noodles until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Arrange the noodles in a single layer on a baking sheet to prevent them from sticking.

Butter a 13-by-9-by-2-inch glass baking dish. Pour the béchamel sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish. Lay out 4 lasagna noodles on a work surface, then spread about 3 tablespoons of ricotta mixture evenly over each noodle. Starting at 1 end, roll each noodle like a jelly roll. Lay the lasagna rolls seam side down, without touching (not sure why she stipulates this, ours did just fine snug up against one another), atop the béchamel sauce in the dish. Repeat with the remaining noodles and ricotta mixture. Pour jar of marinara sauce over the lasagna rolls. Sprinkle the mozzarella and remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan over the lasagna rolls. Cover tightly with foil. Bake until heated through and the sauce bubbles, about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until the cheese on top becomes golden, about 15 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Turkey Meatballs

Here is a recipe for one of our family favorites.  All of the kids love these meatballs.  I honestly have not followed the entire recipe.  I make the meatballs as per the recipe but I make my own sauce by sautéing onions and garlic and adding canned tomatoes and italian spices.  Then I puree it in the vitamix and pour it into a crock pot.  I make it stretch by adding 1 or 2 jars of my favorite store bought spaghetti sauce.  One other thing I change is I make the meatballs really big and bake them in the oven first for about 20 minutes then let them finish in the crock pot with the sauce.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 cloves garlic (4 smashed, 1 minced)
• 1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes, crushed by hand
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1 small piece parmesan rind (optional)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3/4 pound 93% lean ground turkey
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for topping
• 1 slice stale whole-wheat bread, crust trimmed, bread chopped
• 1/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
• 1 large egg white, lightly beaten
• 12 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the smashed garlic and cook 1 minute. Add the tomatoes with their juice, 2 cups water, 1/4cup basil, the parmesan rind, if using, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until thickened, about 8 minutes. Discard the parmesan rind, if used.

Chop the remaining 1/4cup basil, then mix with the turkey, parsley, bread, ricotta, parmesan, egg white, minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste in a bowl using your hands. Form into 4 large or 12 small meatballs; add to the sauce and simmer, turning, until cooked through, 6 minutes for small meatballs and 12 minutes for large.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water as the label directs. Drain and return to the pot. Toss with some of the sauce, then divide among bowls. Top the spaghetti with the meatballs, the remaining sauce and more parsley and parmesan.

Per serving: Calories 547; Fat 9 g (Saturated 2 g); Cholesterol 46 mg; Sodium 938 mg; Carbohydrate 81 g; Fiber 15 g; Protein 41 g

Here's how Joelle modifies this recipe:

Bake the meatballs in the oven at 400 for about 20 minutes until done and slightly browned. While the meatballs are baking, make and cook the sauce on the stovetop, adding one or two extra cans of pre-made spagetti sauce, if desired. When the meatballs are done, combine with sauce in a crockpot and cook on low or high (depending on timing) until time to serve.