Bake Manicotti with meat sauce
I believe this is from America's test kitchen.
Baked Manicotti With Meat Sauce Recipe from Cooks Country- Oct/Nov. 2009
MEAT SAUCE
1 onion, chopped
6 ounces sliced deli pepperoni
1 pound 85% lean ground beef
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
5 garlic cloves
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
Salt and pepper
MANICOTTI
3 cups ricotta cheese
2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded provolone cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
16 no-boil lasagna flat noodles
directions
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1. GRIND MEAT. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 375°. Pulse onion and pepperoni in food processor until coarsely ground. Add beef and pulse until thoroughly combined.
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2. MAKE SAUCE. Transfer beef mixture to large saucepan and cook over medium heat, breaking up mixture with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer 1 cup beef mixture to paper towel-lined plate and reserve. Add tomato paste, garlic, and pepper flakes to pot with remaining meat mixture and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (At this point, sauce can be refrigerated in airtight container for 3 days.)
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3. PREPARE FILLING. Combine ricotta, 2 cups mozzarella, 1 cup provolone, egg, salt, pepper, basil, and reserved meat mixture in large bowl. Pour 2 quarts boiling water into 13x9 inch baking dish. Soak noodles until pliable, about 5 minutes. Drain noodles on kitchen towel. Pour off water and dry baking dish(
separate the noodles before placing them in the water or else they will stick together).
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4. ASSEMBLE DISH. Spread half of meat sauce over bottom of baking dish. Following photos below, top each soaked noodle with 1/4 cup cheese filling, roll, and arrange, seam-side down, over sauce in baking dish. Spread remaining sauce over manicotti. Cover with foil and bake until bubbling around edges, about 40 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and provolone. Bake until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes. Serve.
The noodles do not have to be perfectly flat.They can be a little wavy like this just as long as they wider than your standard lasagna noodles and are no boil noodles.
