One of the best parts of having my wife home for a visit is that she is also an excellent cook.  This has not only given me a much needed break from the kitchen, but has given the entire family a perspective on cooking that is different from my own.

While my cooking style tends towards Asian influence with go-to spices and sauces like soy, curry and five-spice powder, my wife’s cooking is heavily Puerto Rican and Mediterranean in influence. The change has been welcome and has me longing to broaden my horizons as well.

This was one of the dishes she made during her visit and is one that I could eat over and over again if it were possible. I am very much looking forward to having it again at the end of her time in Turkey.  The roasted garlic in the filling makes all the difference and elevates this Manicotti above many of the others that I’ve had.

Yield: 4 servings

Stuffed Manicotti with Marinara

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1 package manicotti (You won't need them all, but some will break, so we just do the whole thing.)
• 1-1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 head roasted garlic
• 3 green onions, diced
• 1/2 bunch parsley, chopped
• 2 eggs, beaten
• Salt and pepper to taste
• About 2 cups of your favorite marinara sauce

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring six quarts of salted water to a rolling boil over high heat. Meanwhile, mix together ricotta, Parmesan, garlic, green onions parsley and salt and pepper. When well combined, taste for seasoning, then mix in the eggs.
2. Boil manicotti for 5 to 6 minutes or until just barely Al Dente. remove from water carefully and set aside to cool. Discard any badly torn noodles (you only ned about 8 good ones, so you should be just fine)
3. Place the cheese in a large zip-top storage bag and cut the tip off of one corner. Gently fill 8 Manicotti noodles and place in a baking dish. (You might get 9 or 10, depending on how much filling you get into each noodle) Pour marinara over the center of the noodles and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.
4. Serve hot with a little freshly grated parmesan as a garnish.
5. Share and enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 385Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 161mgSodium: 1155mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 3gSugar: 8gProtein: 26g

What I would have done differently had I thought of it at the time:

I would have got better pictures!

Also, I think a little fresh chopped parsley as garnish would have added just a bit of color and flavor…  But I’ll get to that the next time we make this.

Links to other recipes like this:

• Cheesy Sausage Stuffed Manicotti, from Culinary Disasters
• Spinach and Ricotta Manicotti, from Annarassa
• Mmm Manicotti, from the wonderful Lis at La Mia Cucina