Baked Manicotti with Sausage

Adapted from Dinneratthezoo.com


For the filling

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 pound Italian sausage hot or mild, casings removed (I use Trader Joe’s Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage)
  • 1/2 cup onion finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 15 ounces ricotta cheese (I use Trader Joe’s Whole Milk Ricotta)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Freshly cracked black pepper

For assembly

  • 2 1/2 cups marinara sauce (I use Trader Joe’s Organic Marinara Sauce)
  • 12 manicotti shells (I use 2 (7oz) boxes of Jovial Gluten Free Manicotti)
  • 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • Cooking spray

  1. Preheat the oven to 375-F. Coat a 9″x13″ baking dish with cooking spray.
  2. Cook the manicotti in salted boiling water for 1-2 minutes less than the package directions. Drain and cool slightly.
  3. Spread 1 cup of the marinara sauce over the bottom of the pan.

For the filling

  1. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Cook, breaking up the meat, for 3-4 minutes.
  2. Add onions; cook for an additional 4-5 minutes or until onions are softened and sausage is browned and cooked through.
  3. Add garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Remove pan from heat.
  4. In a large bowl, stir to combine ricotta cheese, egg, mozzarella, parmesan, salt, and pepper.
  5. Add the meat mixture to the ricotta mixture. Stir until well mixed.

For assembly

  1. Use a spoon or piping bag to fill each manicotti with the meat and cheese mixture.
  2. Arrange the manicotti in a single layer in the baking dish. Pour the rest of the sauce over the top.

For baking

  • Gluten Free: Cover and bake for 40 minutes. Then, remove cover, sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the top, then bake for an additional 10 minutes until cheese has browned.
  • Regular pasta: Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the top, then bake for an additional 10 minutes until cheese is melted and browned.
  • Sprinkle with parsley

Rating: 5 out of 5.

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