Ingredients

Manicotti

10 manicotti shells, boil extra in case some break
15 oz. ricotta cheese
¾ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
3 ½ cups mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
5 Tbsp. cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
3 cloves garlic
24 oz. marinara sauce

Seasoning

1 tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. dried oregano
½ tsp. dried basil
½ tsp. Salt
¼ tsp. pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Reserve 1 ½ cups of mozzarella cheese for the top of the manicotti.
3. Combine the ricotta, Parmesan cheese, remaining mozzarella, cream cheese, eggs, and seasonings in a large bowl. Set aside in the fridge.
4. Boil shells in salted water for 1-2 minutes less than al dente, set a timer to avoid overcooking them. Drain in a colander and gently rinse with cold water until the shells are cool. Set aside.
5. Spread half of the marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish.
6. Use a spoon or a piping bag to fill each manicotti shell, letting a little extend over the top. Transfer the filled shells to the casserole dish.
7. Top with remaining marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese.
8. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Remove cover and bake for 10 more minutes. If desired, broil at 425° for 1 minute, watch it carefully during this time. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with Garlic Bread with Cheese

Comments

• See blog post for instructions on how to add meat and/or spinach.
• Boil extra shells in case some break during the boiling or draining process.
• This is one case where I like to use jarred, finely minced garlic (instead of fresh cloves). The flavor is more subtle which blends into the filling nicely.
• Low moisture whole milk mozzarella melts the best in this recipe, shred it from a block instead of using packaged shredded cheese. It will melt and taste much  better.
• I use Dragone for the ricotta/mozzarella, BelGioioso for the Parmesan, and Philadelphia for the cream cheese. 
• Rao’s is my go-to brand for marinara sauce, (it’s really good)!