Manicotti: How to Make Italian Manicotti and Sausage

Italian Manicotti And Sausage

• Author: Romae Chanice Marquez
• Recipe Category: Main Dish
• Cuisine: Italian

The whole preparation and baking time will take three hours. This recipe is suitable for at least six servings. 

Photo credit: @carlsbadcravings / Instagram.com

Italian Manicotti And Sausage Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 ounces bulk hot Italian sausage
• 5 ounces bulk sweet Italian sausage
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 thirty-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 4 fresh bay leaves
• Kosher salt and
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup chopped fresh basil
• 2 cups ricotta
• 3 cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella
• 2 1/2 cups grated Parmesan
• One 8-ounce package manicotti

Italian Manicotti And Sausage Instructions

Step 1: Heat 3 tablespoons of oil over medium heat in a big saucepot. Cook the sausage until browned and caramelized for 10 minutes, breaking it up into small pieces. Move the sausage to a towel-lined plate and set aside for filling.

Step 2: Add the remaining tablespoons of oil to the saucepan and cook the onion until soft and translucent.

Step 3: Add the garlic and simmer for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. The tomato paste should turn a dark maroon color.

Step 3: Add a pinch of black pepper and the crushed tomatoes, sugar, bay leaves, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a simmer, lower the heat, and cook for 30 minutes.

Step 4: Melt the butter in the sauce, remove the bay leaves and stir in 1/3 cup basil. Remove the sauce from the heat and allow it to cool for 40 minutes or until room temperature.

Step 5: For the filling, blend the ricotta together, reserved meat, the remaining 1/3 cup basil, 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella, 1 1/2 cups of Parmesan, 1 teaspoon of salt, and pepper to taste. Fold in one cup of the chilled tomato sauce. Place the filling in a large piping bag, and refrigerate for 40 minutes. 

Step 6: Preheat the oven to 375 ° F.  Bring a big salted pot of water to a boil. Cook the shells until they’re slightly softened but still retain in their tubular form, about 6 minutes.

Step 7: Pour half of the tomato sauce onto a 9-by-13-inch broiler-proof baking dish. Fill each shell with the ricotta mixture. Drop the filled shells into the baking dish. Pipe any additional filling into the plate along the ends of the pasta.

Step 8: Cover with the remaining tomato sauce. Then scatter the remaining 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella and 1 cup of Parmesan over the top. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes or until the sauce begins bubbling.

Step 9: Take the platter from the oven, remove the foil and turn oven to 425 degrees F.

Step 10: Place the manicotti back into the oven and bake for about 10 minutes, until the cheese is browned and bubbling. Before serving, allow the dish to cool slightly.

Italian Manicotti And Sausage Additional Information

• Per serving, this recipe has 340 calories, 37g of carbohydrates, 11g of fat, and 23g of protein.
• This recipe is suitable for at least six servings.
• This meal will take three hours to prepare fully.
• Manicotti is known for its robust and hearty quality. It is the perfect shape for healthy and savory sauces. It works great with many different fillings such as meat, cheese, and vegetables.