BAKED MANICOTTI

Manicotti is nice as a meatless dish or with precooked sausage meat added to the filling. Manicotti shells are expensive and a bit fussy to fill. Using lasagna noodles instead might not be the purist’s approach, but certainly easier and more economical than filling manicotti shells. The recipe calls for commercial lasagna noodles. I make my own, so it looks a bit different in the picture.

BAKED MANICOTTI
6 lasagna noodles, cooked and rinsed in cold water
1-1/3 cups pasta sauce
1-3/4 cups ricotta cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
1-1/2 cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup pesto

• Prepare pasta to package directions and drain.
• Spread 3/4 cup of pasta sauce on the bottom of a 9x9-inch baking dish.
• In a bowl combine the ricotta, egg, Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses and pesto.
• Cut each lasagna noodle in half.
• Divide the cheese mixture on every noodle.
• Fold one end over and tuck under.
• Arrange the folded pastas in the prepared baking dish.
• Pour the remaining pasta sauce on the top.
• Bake at 350F for 40 min or until heated through.