The hub and I made this together on our last date night. We had a great time together. The manicotti was superb. We made a fresh tomato sauce from tomatoes and basil in our garden. It was fantastic and the left overs were good too. When I make it again, I will try adding mozzarella cheese to the meat mixture before stuffing it into the shells.
Manicotti Prep time: 1 hour, Cook time: 1 hour
2 tbsp olive oil
½ cup chopped onion
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ lb ground beef
½ lb sausage
1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach
1 (8-12 oz) package manicotti shells
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 eggs, beaten
½ cup parmesan cheese
3 cups spaghetti sauce
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp chicken bouillon granules
2 tsp salt
2 cups half-and-half
2 tbsp fresh basil, chiffonade
¼ cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1½ cup parmesan cheese
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onions until translucent. Add garlic and stir one minute more. Stir in beef and sausage. Cook until brown and crumbled. Season with salt and set aside.
Cook spinach according to package directions. Drain well. Bring a large salted pot of water to a boil. Add manicotti shells and parboil. Drain and cover with cool water to stop the cooking process.
Combine the ground beef mixture with the spinach, ricotta cheese, ½ cup parmesan cheese and beaten eggs. Put in a pastry bag. Spread ¼ cup tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 pan. Gently drain the noodles and stuff each one with the meat and cheese mixture. Place shells in the prepared dish.
Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare the white sauce by melting the butter over medium heat. Stir in flour and chicken bouillon. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring constantly, until it begins to bubble. Stir in half-and-half and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in ¾ parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. Pour sauce over stuffed shells.
Add basil to sauce. Carefully pour over shells, trying to keep sauces separate. Cover and bake for 40 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese and bake uncovered for 10 minutes more. Let rest on counter for 10 minutes before serving.