Southern Ontario is experiencing a real Canadian winter, that has not been seen for many years. Bitter cold, snow and then freezing rain, power outages…the whole gambit.
Manicotti with Meat, Spinach and Cheese, uses fresh lasagna noodles and a wonderful combination of beef, Ricotta and spinach.
It is a perfect comfort dish for a cold January dinner. Serve it with a nice green salad and a glass of red wine.
Enjoy!
Manicotti with Meat, Cheese and Spinach
Print recipe| Serves | 6 |
Ingredients
- 400 Gm ( 3/4 lb) lean ground beef
- 1 Large onion (medium chop)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 Tsp salt
- 1 Tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 Tsp freshly ground pepper
- 2 Cups uncooked, fresh chopped spinach
- 1/8 Tsp grated nutmeg
- 500 Gm ( 2 cups) full fat Ricotta cheese
- 1 Large egg (beaten)
- 1 1/2 Cups grated Mozzarella or combination Italian cheeses
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 14 oz (398 ml) tins unsalted chopped tomatoes
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tsp dried basil
- 1 Pkg (6 slices) fresh lasagna noodles (halved) (or 12 manicotti tubes, cooked and drained according to the package directions)
Topping
- 1 cup grated Mozarello or a combination of grated Italian cheeses
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- freshly chopped (snipped) basil
Directions
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Cook the ground beef, onion and garlic in a medium sized frying pan, breaking up the meat as it cooks.  | |
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Add the chopped spinach, salt, pepper, nutmeg and oregano. Cook until the spinach has wilted. Drain off any fat and set aside to cool.  | |
| When the meat mixture has cooled, mix in the Ricotta, 1 1/2 cups of Mozzarella (or other shredded cheeses) and 1/2 cup of Parmesan. Finally add the egg and mix well together. | |
| Mix the two tins of chopped tomatoes with 2 tbsp of olive oil. Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of an oven going dish (will probably need 2 dishes) and sprinkle with dried basil. | |
| Fold a fresh lasagna noodle in half (width-wise). Briefly wet the noodles under the tap, so that they will stick together when rolled. | |
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Place some of the meat mixture (about the size of a large sausage) along the lower end of the noodle.  | |
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Roll, from the meat filling edge, to construct a tube. Place seam side down in the prepared dish, in a single layer. Continue until all the noodles and meat mixture have been used up. If using dry noodles, cook the noodles according the package directions, drain and refresh under cold water. Fill the tubes using a teaspoon and place in the prepared dish.  | |
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Sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese and Parmesan cheese. Top with chopped fresh basil and a good grinding of pepper. Mixture can be covered and refrigerated at this point.  | |
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Bake covered in a 350 deg F oven for 40 minutes (longer if it has been refrigerated) until noodles are cooked and the sauce bubbles along the side of the dish. Remove the cover and bake for 5 more minutes. Let the Manicotti stand for 5 minutes before serving. | |