Tasty Tuesday ~ Red & White Manicotti

You may or may not have noticed one thing missing from TT.......seafood.  There's a reason for that.  I can't stand fish or anything else seafood-y.  Call me crazy, but it's the truth.  This makes Friday's during Lent a bit tricky for this Catholic.  Well my prayers were answered when this weeks edition of "The Leaven" (aka the Catholic newspaper) arrived.  Apparently I'm not the only one who wanted some fish free meals because they listed FOUR yummy recipes to try and I immediately knew I had to try this one!  Unfortunately for Tuesday.....Friday is still days away so I can't actually vouch for this yet, but I'm pretty confident it will be delish!  Enjoy!

Red & White Manicotti

What you need:

1 box (8oz) manicotti noodles
3 c ricotta cheese (12 oz)
2 beaten eggs
2 c shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
1 pkg (9 oz) frozen chopped spinach
1 jar (28 oz) marinara pasta sauce (my fave is Emeril's, it's fabulous!)

What you do:
Boil manicotti noodles according to the package.  Thaw spinach in the microwave and squeeze out excess liquid.  Pour marinara sauce into a 9x12 casserole dish.  Mix beaten eggs, spinach and all three cheeses in a large bowl.  Put mixture into a one-gallon Ziploc bag.  Remove excess air, snip off one of the corners and pipe filling into shells.  Place stuffed shells into casserole and cover with Alfredo sauce (see below).  Sprinkle with dried basil, oregano and additional Parm cheese if desired.  Cover with foil; bake at 350 for 40 minutes

Basic Alfredo Sauce

1/4 c butter

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 c flour

1/2 t salt

2 cups milk

1/2 c grated Parm cheese

dash of nutmeg

Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat.  Add flour and stir to combine.  Cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add milk slowly, whisking until smooth.  Add Parm cheese and season with salt, pepper, nutmeg.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened and bubbly, about 3-4 minutes.

Bon Appetite!