Savory Manicotti

Since my last low-fat Italian disaster with the vegetarian lasagna, I was skeptical about posting another pasta dish. However, this recipe is fool-proof for tasting good.

This recipe came from a combination of Martha Stewart and William Sonoma, although I cannot find where I got either recipe. I swapped a few hearty ingredients and added roasted pine nuts to give this lighter dish a savory flavor that stands up to any meaty competition.

The only disappointing part of this meal is that its not very plentiful. This recipe makes enough servings for maybe three people and more likely two hungry people. So I do not recommend this recipe for serving company.

Savory Manicotti

1 package manicotti, cooked and cooled (in luke warm water)

1 (15 oz) container of ricotta cheese - as always, I recommend TJs but Sorrento's low-fat is a close second choice

1 egg, beaten

dried thyme

dried oregano

1/2 cup shredded parmesan

minced garlic

1 pint baby bello mushrooms

3 cups favorite tomato sauce

9 oz. baby spinach

3 tbsp. pine nuts

I've never found whole wheat manicotti pasta, but after my lasagna disaster I am going with the safe white flour pasta. Be sure to handle with care when transporting from the grocery store to home - manicotti pasta breaks easily and it's unusable after that. Also be sure to not over boil. Over boiling pasta will cause it to crack and tear and make stuffing manicotti much more difficult than it already is. Let noodles cool in luke-warm water until filling is prepared.

Sauté minced garlic (about a tablespoon or less) in olive oil. Once garlic browns, add mushrooms until softened. Stir in pine nuts. Once nuts have browned slightly and they have a strong aroma, add spinach and stir until spinach wilts. Remove vegetables from heat.

Preheat oven for 375 degrees. In a large bowl, mix ricotta cheese, egg, oregano and thyme. You can substitute Italian seasoning. Stir in 1 tsp salt and pepper. Once vegetables have cooled slightly, stir vegetables into cheese mix. If the cheese is not cool enough, the mixture will melt the plastic bag. Using a rubber spatula, spoon mixture into a one gallon ziplock bag. Cut a small triangle from the bottom of one corner to use as a filler for the manicotti.

Spoon about one cup of pasta sauce into the base of a large baking dish. Cupping the manicotti to ensure the bottom is covered, squeeze the cheese mixture into the open end of the manicotti pasta. Do not overfill or the manicotti will break, or worse, leak cheese all over the place. Layer the manicotti together in the baking dish. Top prepared manicotti with remaining pasta sauce and parm cheese.

Bake manicotti for 20 to 30 minutes or until bubbly. This recipe uses about 1/3 the amount of cheese normally called for in manicotti. I've also adjusted the recipe to bring more vegetables and hearty fillings. I high recommend a side salad since this is such a light meal. The pine nuts make the true difference in taste. If you are short on pine nuts, roast walnut pieces.