Manicotti, Lasagna, and Stuffed Shells

When I go to the grocery store, I always have a list and try not to deviate from it too much.  Of course, there are times when I remember that we need something I have neglected to put on my list.  But I do not buy impulsively.  Rash and unplanned grocery shopping leads to less healthy meals, higher grocery bills, more food wasted, and a more stressful shopping experience.

That being said, there are times when it is prudent to make a change in the game plan part-way through your shopping trip.  A few weeks ago I was at WinCo, list in hand.  I noticed that Prego marinara sauce (yes, I sometimes use jarred spaghetti sauce) and cottage cheese were on sale.  The savings were too good to pass up; so I grabbed a tub of cottage cheese and a few jars of Prego, then backtracked a bit, and picked up some manicotti noodles.

Manicotti is one of Robbie’s absolute favorite meals—that’s what he chose for his birthday dinner this year.  I rarely make it, however, because it isn’t the healthiest pasta dish and all the cheese makes it one of the more costly meals that I make.  So when I saw some of the ingredients at a great price, I just had to insert it in my menu for this week!

I have to break my spending limit of $1/lb. for pasta when I make manicotti.  I have never been able to find manicotti noodles at that price.  You might notice that your grocer’s pasta aisle now has “oven ready” manicotti and lasagna noodles—“No Boiling Required.”  I’ve been making these types of baked pastas for years with regular noodles, and I never boil them.  There is no need to pay more money for these special noodles.  They key is to make sure the sauce is liquidy enough to cook the noodles in the oven and to bake it a little longer than if you had boiled the noodles.  Not only does this save on active prep time, but the noodles don’t rip while you are filling them.  Jumbo shell noodles have to be boiled because the sides overlap too much to fill.  Just follow the directions on the package.  They should be undercooked, just enough to make them pliable.  They will continue to cook in the oven.

I use cottage cheese rather than the traditional ricotta cheese because it is cheaper but still produces a great filling.  I also think the milder flavor of cottage cheese is more popular with children.  Don't be afraid to try this recipe if you or someone in your family does not like cottage cheese.  Neither of our husbands like cottage cheese, but both of them like manicotti.

An added bonus to this recipe is that it is freezable!  Since the ingredients were on sale, I bought enough to make two batches of filling.  I prepared both batches at the same time—one pan of manicotti to eat and two little pans of lasagna to freeze.  Both pastas can be frozen either before or after baking.  Freezing it after it is baked reduces prep time when you are ready to eat it but produces a slightly over-baked pasta.  You can compromise and bake it half-way before freezing it.  I prefer to freeze it unbaked.  I just move it from the freezer to the fridge one or two days before I’m ready to bake it.  However you decide to do it, be sure to wrap it well to prevent freezer burn.  I usually wrap it with two layers of plastic wrap and then a layer of foil (be sure to remove the plastic wrap before placing it in the oven).

Manicotti or Cheese Lasagna

1 lb. cottage or ricotta cheese

1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

½ c. shredded Parmesan cheese

2 eggs

Dash each garlic powder, basil, oregano, thyme, and marjoram

1 pkg. manicotti or lasagna noodles, uncooked

1 jar spaghetti sauce

Mozzarella cheese, for sprinkling

Parmesan cheese, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350° (325° if using a clear baking dish).  In medium bowl, combine cottage or ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese.  Mix in eggs and herbs to taste.  Pour a thin layer of spaghetti sauce in bottom of 9”x13” baking dish.  Continue following directions for specific pastas below.

Manicotti

Use a fork to stuff each noodle with filling; arrange in single layer in dish.  Cover with remaining spaghetti sauce.  Cover tightly with foil; bake 1 hour.  Remove foil and sprinkle top with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.  Continue baking, uncovered, until cheese is melted and starts to brown, about 5-10 minutes.  Feeds:  6-8.  Total cost:  less than $8.00 with items on sale.

Lasagna

Alternate layers of sauce, noodles, and cheese.  Finish with a layer of noodles then sauce.  Cover tightly with foil; bake 1 hour.  Remove foil and sprinkle top with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.  Continue baking, uncovered, until cheese is melted and starts to brown, about 5-10 minutes.

These little disposable pans are great
for giving meals away.  I get them at
Cash and Carry Warehouse.  You can
find other stores here.

The lids are perfect for writing
contents and cooking directions.

Stuffed Shells

Prepare 1½ batches of filling:

1½ lb. cottage or ricotta cheese

1½ c. shredded mozzarella cheese

¾ c. shredded Parmesan cheese

3 eggs

Dash each garlic powder, basil, oregano, thyme, and marjoram

1 pkg. jumbo shell noodles, cooked according to package directions

1 jar spaghetti sauce

Mozzarella cheese, for sprinkling

Parmesan cheese, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350° (325° if using a clear baking dish).  In medium bowl, combine cottage or ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese.  Mix in eggs and herbs to taste.  Pour a thin layer of spaghetti sauce in bottom of 9”x13” baking dish.  Fill each shell with a spoonful of filling.  Arrange in single layer in dish.  Tear up any remaining noodles and place in holes.  Cover with remaining spaghetti sauce.  Cover tightly with foil; bake 1 hour.  Remove foil and sprinkle top with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.  Continue baking, uncovered, until cheese is melted and starts to brown, about 5-10 minutes.

Boiled and filled

Before they are boiled.

This one hasn't been baked yet.  It's in my freezer for dinner
later this week!!