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“Manicotti” Casserole
Now, keep in mind, dinner in my house has to feed six, and three of those regularly bring a very healthy appetite to the table, especially where pasta is concerned. My casserole dish is a 14x9x3, and that allows us some leftovers, so this could easily be cut down. I’m giving it to you full scale here.
Before I get into this, a word about noodles. Pretty much any variety of Penne will work for this, but you don’t want something too large, like Rigatoni or Cannelloni. I usually use regular Penne or Mostaccioli (the only difference in the two is outer texture, and occasionally price). Manicotti is the big tubes, and this recipe was first created making those and stuffing them. I’m not that ambitious with my dinners, so I go the smaller casserole route.
6 cups Penne or Mostaccioli
Cooked to slightly firm. Personally I always add salt and olive oil to the water, but things I’ve read recently suggest that the oil isn’t really needed.
2 pounds ground beef (I like it lean! 93/7 or 90/10, any more fat than that and it has to be drained)
2 pounds cheddar cheese, shredded
½ to ¾ pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
3 15 oz cans tomato sauce \
1 6 oz can tomato paste / (Mandy says she doesn’t use the paste, and only 2 cans of the sauce here)
1 egg
½ to ¾ cup bread crumbs (I usually use store bought, and for this I like the “Italian Style” variety)
Spices (your mileage may vary, so no amounts given):
Salt
Pepper
Savory
Italian Seasoning
Oregano
Basil
(optionally)
Fresh chopped garlic (for me this is a must, but only a tsp or two, since I’m not that big of a fan. Again, your mileage may vary)
Onion powder (don’t use it personally, but my wife does)
Brown your meat. I add my spices right here, except the garlic, so that the flavor gets into the meat. A few good shakes of each. Bring your heat down to slightly more than a simmer. Add two cans of sauce and the can of paste (this is where I also add garlic). TASTE TEST! This is big here. Tart? Add sugar. Sweet? Add salt (or something salty like grated parmesan). When it’s to your liking, add the egg, bread crumbs and half of the cheddar. Stir until cheese is melted, and your sauce is on the thick side. If it still seems thin, add more bread crumbs.
In your casserole dish, use half of the last can of tomato sauce with some olive oil to coat the bottom. Add your noodles. Spread your meat sauce on top of the noodles, evenly as possible, and you should have enough to cover most if not the entire pan. Add the rest of the can of tomato sauce. Spread the rest of the cheddar on top of the fresh sauce. Spread the mozzarella on top of that (the mozzarella layer should be a little smaller than the cheddar layer). Cover with foil.
Bake at 325 for 20 minutes, then remove foil and continue baking until cheese is browned (probably more than five, but definitely less than ten more minutes).
Serve it with a green salad and garlic bread (and a robust red wine, nothing too heavy though) if you’re feeling fancy, or a tall glass of milk if you’re not.
Bon appetit!
Now, keep in mind, dinner in my house has to feed six, and three of those regularly bring a very healthy appetite to the table, especially where pasta is concerned. My casserole dish is a 14x9x3, and that allows us some leftovers, so this could easily be cut down. I’m giving it to you full scale here.
Before I get into this, a word about noodles. Pretty much any variety of Penne will work for this, but you don’t want something too large, like Rigatoni or Cannelloni. I usually use regular Penne or Mostaccioli (the only difference in the two is outer texture, and occasionally price). Manicotti is the big tubes, and this recipe was first created making those and stuffing them. I’m not that ambitious with my dinners, so I go the smaller casserole route.
6 cups Penne or Mostaccioli
Cooked to slightly firm. Personally I always add salt and olive oil to the water, but things I’ve read recently suggest that the oil isn’t really needed.
2 pounds ground beef (I like it lean! 93/7 or 90/10, any more fat than that and it has to be drained)
2 pounds cheddar cheese, shredded
½ to ¾ pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
3 15 oz cans tomato sauce \
1 6 oz can tomato paste / (Mandy says she doesn’t use the paste, and only 2 cans of the sauce here)
1 egg
½ to ¾ cup bread crumbs (I usually use store bought, and for this I like the “Italian Style” variety)
Spices (your mileage may vary, so no amounts given):
Salt
Pepper
Savory
Italian Seasoning
Oregano
Basil
(optionally)
Fresh chopped garlic (for me this is a must, but only a tsp or two, since I’m not that big of a fan. Again, your mileage may vary)
Onion powder (don’t use it personally, but my wife does)
Brown your meat. I add my spices right here, except the garlic, so that the flavor gets into the meat. A few good shakes of each. Bring your heat down to slightly more than a simmer. Add two cans of sauce and the can of paste (this is where I also add garlic). TASTE TEST! This is big here. Tart? Add sugar. Sweet? Add salt (or something salty like grated parmesan). When it’s to your liking, add the egg, bread crumbs and half of the cheddar. Stir until cheese is melted, and your sauce is on the thick side. If it still seems thin, add more bread crumbs.
In your casserole dish, use half of the last can of tomato sauce with some olive oil to coat the bottom. Add your noodles. Spread your meat sauce on top of the noodles, evenly as possible, and you should have enough to cover most if not the entire pan. Add the rest of the can of tomato sauce. Spread the rest of the cheddar on top of the fresh sauce. Spread the mozzarella on top of that (the mozzarella layer should be a little smaller than the cheddar layer). Cover with foil.
Bake at 325 for 20 minutes, then remove foil and continue baking until cheese is browned (probably more than five, but definitely less than ten more minutes).
Serve it with a green salad and garlic bread (and a robust red wine, nothing too heavy though) if you’re feeling fancy, or a tall glass of milk if you’re not.
Bon appetit!