Mike's Stuffed Manicotti W/meat Sauce

Total Time: 1 hr 40 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup yellow onions or 1/2 cup spanish onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup finely chopped bell pepper (red, yellow, green)
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or 2 tablespoons dried basil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• kosher salt
• fresh ground pepper
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 2 dashes worcestershire sauce
• kosher salt
• fresh ground pepper
• 14 pieces manicotti, uncooked (8oz)
• 3 1/2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese (30 oz)
• 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (4 oz)
• 1/4 cup graded parmesan cheese, divided (not the green can kind)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Recipe

• 1 to make sauce, heat the olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat.
• 2 add onions and peppers.
• 3 sauté until softened (approx. 5 min).
• 4 add garlic, sauté another minute.
• 5 add mushrooms and sauté 2 minutes.
• 6 add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and seasonings.
• 7 stir well.
• 8 partially cover and simmer on low heat.
• 9 in a fry pan, over medium-high heat combine crumbled ground beef, worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper.
• 10 cook until browned, then drain.
• 11 add to simmering sauce.
• 12 continue to simmer until thickened, approximately 15 to 20 minutes.
• 13 remove from heat until use.
• 14 note: sauce will be chunky (before ground beef is added), if a smoother sauce is desired stir with an immersion blender until desired consistency is reached.
• 15 cook pasta according to package directions.
• 16 cool in single layer on foil.
• 17 pre heat oven to 375 degrees f.
• 18 in a large mixing bowl, combine ricotta, mozzarella, ½ of the parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper.
• 19 spoon or pipe into cooled manicotti.
• 20 in a 13x9x2 inch-baking dish spread about ½ cup of sauce on bottom, arrange filled pasta in single layer over sauce.
• 21 cover with remaining sauce.
• 22 bake covered with foil for 20 minutes, uncover, sprinkle remaining parmesan cheese, re-cover, and continue baking for 15 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.