Sausage Stuffed Manicotti

Sausage Stuffed Manicotti

Bet you didn’t know that Manicotti means sleeves in Italian. Traditional manicotti is filled with ham and ricotta cheese. This recipe is made with sausage and spinach. Feel free to double this recipe if you are feeding a larger group or want lots of leftovers. This dish is made with a White Sauce and is delicious!

INGREDIENTS

½ Pound Italian Sausage

1 Medium Chopped Onion

1 Chopped Medium Red Bell Pepper

3 Cups Lightly Cooked Spinach

10 Manicotti

White Sauce

5 Tablespoons Butter

4 Tablespoons Unbleached Flour

2 Cups Milk

½ Teaspoon Salt

½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper

½ Pound Mozzarella Cheese

2 Cups Tomato Sauce

½ Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

In a large pot bring water to a boil. Plunge the manicotti into the boiling water for 1 minute until al dente. Drain them and as soon as you can handle them stuff with the sausage – spinach mixture.

In a large skillet, sauté the sausage, the onion and the red bell pepper for 5 minutes. Add the spinach and mix well. Remove from the heat.

For the White Sauce melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour. Cook gently for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and whisk in the milk. Turn the heat back on and whisk until thickened. Season with the salt and pepper. Mix about ¼ of the sauce with the sausage-spinach mixture. Lay them side by side in a oiled baking dish that is just large enough to hold them in one layer. Slice the mozzarella and lay the slices over the manicotti. Spread the remaining white sauce over and then pour on the tomato sauce. Spread evenly over the top. Sprinkle on the Parmesan cheese and bake in a preheated 375° F oven for 30 minutes. Serves 5

Tomato Sauce

INGREDIENTS

16 Ounces Tomatoes (Canned)

1 Chopped Onion

1 Large Chopped Carrot

2 Chopped Garlic Cloves

¼ Cup Water

½ Teaspoon Sea Salt

½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper

Put all of the tomatoes, onion, carrot, salt, pepper and garlic together in a heavy saucepan. Cover and cook over a medium heat for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add the water if the sauce gets too thick. In the food processor puree the tomato sauce. Use where needed. Makes 1 ¼ Cups