Stuffed Manicotti ****

Categories:
casserole, dinners, Italian, pasta, sausage

1 lb bulk pork sausage
2 can 15 oz. each tomato sauce
6 oz tomato paste
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 each egg
1 teaspoon parsley flakes
8 each manicott , cooked, drain; or jumbo shells
15 oz ricotta cheese
1 single parmesan cheese

In a large saucepan, brown sausage, drain. Remove half of sausage; set aside. Stir tomatoe paste, sauce, water, brown sugar, garlic powder, and oregano into sausage; simmer 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in medium bowl, combine remaining sausage, ricotta, 2 cups mozzarella, egg, and parsley. In a 13x9x2 baking dish, pour 1/3 of the spaghetti sauce mixture. Stuff manicotti noodles with ricotta mixture and place on top of the sauce. Pour remaining sauce over noodles, top with remaining mozzarella and sprinkle with parmesan. Bake at 350, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until hot. Cutting a 3/4 inch slice off of the end of a 1 quart Zip Lock bag and using it as a pastry press for stuffing the shells worked really well. 5/12/05 This makes four servings for big eaters. Cut it in half for us to get four servings. 6/10/10 used jumbo shells instead of manicotti. Worked much better.

Yield: 4 servings