Sausage Manicotti

Sausage Manicotti--this recipe isn't expensive and it makes enough to feed a small army! Serve it to company alongside a tossed salad. Add some powdered doughnuts for dessert and you've got a yummy, filling meal!

You’ll need:
1. 2 cans Italian stewed tomatoes
2. 1 can tomato paste
3. 1 medium onion diced, divided
4. 1 tspn garlic, divided
5. ¼ cup sugar
6. 1 tspn basil
7. 2 tspn parsley, divided
8. 1 tspn salt
9. ½ tspn black pepper
10. ¼ tspn red pepper flakes
11. 14 manicotti shells
12. ½ lb Italian sausage
13. 15 oz ricotta cheese
14. 2 cups mozzarella
15. 1 egg, lightly beaten

You’ll do:
1. In medium boiler, mix stewed tomatoes, tomato paste, ½ diced onion, and ½ tspn diced garlic. Bring tomato mixture to a boil and reduce heat to medium. Add sugar, basil, 1 tspn parsley, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Allow to simmer, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, bring water to a boil in a large stockpot. Once water is boiling, add manicotti shells and cook until done, approximately 12 minutes.
3. Begin to brown sausage in medium saucepan. Add ½ tspn diced garlic and other ½ of the diced onion to meat. Continue to cook until meat is browned through.
4. Once meat is brown, place meat mixture on paper towel to drain grease.
5. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 9x13 pan.
6. In a medium bowl, mix ricotta, 1 ½ cups mozzarella, 1 tspn parsley, and egg. Add meat.
7. When done, drain pasta and rinse with cold water.
8. Fill Ziploc bag with ricotta/meat mixture. Snip corner off of Ziploc bag.
9. Fill manicotti shells with ricotta/meat mixture.
10. Place filled manicotti shells in greased pan. Pour tomato sauce over shells.
11. Cook in 350F oven for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining ½ cup of mozzarella and cook another 10 minutes.

Nam! Nam!