How to Make Manicotti

Cooking with your kids is not only fun, it’s a great way for a child to experience that true sense of accomplishment that comes from creating a work of their own from start to finish. This recipe comes from KidzKitchen, a popular feature of the children’s online magazine KidzClix.net. The complete recipe is given below.



Manicotti

Filling:
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup freshly grated parmesan
1/3 cup finely chopped parsley
½ teaspoon salt
32 ounces whole-milk ricotta cheese
2 eggs

Assembly:
1 pound manicotti (large tubular pasta)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
4 cups of your favorite pasta sauce
½ cup freshly grated parmesan

Procedure:
1. Place filling ingredients in medium bowl. Mix together until combined.
2. In large pot of boiling salted water, add olive oil. Cook manicotti until somewhat firm to the bite and about ¾ cooked (about 7 minutes, depending on brand). Carefully drain manicotti.
3. Spread 2 cups sauce over bottom of 13X9X2 inch baking pan. Fill each manicotti evenly with filling. Arrange stuffed pasta in single layer in prepared dish; sprinkle with chopped basil. Spoon remaining sauce over; sprinkle ½ cup parmesan evenly over the top.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake manicotti covered with aluminum foil for 30 minutes. Carefully remove foil and bake uncovered about 10 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes and serve.