Spinach Manicotti

A friend of mine asked me to check out a recipe on the blog Espresso and Cream.  I am hoping to try this request out this weekend.  However, I did see a recipe for Quick Spinach Manicotti that I wanted to try.  The recipe came from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food.  However, Martha makes her marinara sauce creamy by adding two tablespoons of heavy cream.  While I'm sure that makes this dish even better, I thought I should try the non cream route first.

I had so much fun making this dish.  The directions tell you to mix up the filling ingredients and make a piping bag out of a zip lock.  I've done this before and I always have such a good time.  I'm like that 2 year old that has all the toys in the world but would prefer to play with the every day things around the house.  Well, I love kitchen tools and I have many, but somehow piping oohey goohey goodness through a zip lock bag is way more fun.

I enjoyed this dish.  It was easy and different from an ordinary spaghetti and marinara sauce meal.  I also like finding recipes with spinach.  It makes me feel a bit Popeye like.  I don't think the taste was anything extraordinary.  However, I give the recipe 4 cookies for ease.  I can see making this a regular meal.

Quick Spinach Manicotti

Ingredients
8 manicotti shells
1 15-oz. container light ricotta cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese 
1 8-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained of excess moisture
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

2 cups marinara sauce (I used a little more than 2 cups because I really like marinara sauce)
optional:  1 tsp basil and/or oregano to add more flavor to the sauce

Instructions
1.  Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta shells according to package instructions. Drain well and arrange in a single layer on an oiled baking sheet. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine ricotta, 1/2 cup Parmesan and spinach. Season filling with salt and pepper.
2.  Transfer filling to a large zip-top plastic bag. Twist and squeeze bag so filling is in one corner. With scissors, snip a 3/4-inch opening in corner. Pipe filling into both ends of each pasta shell. Arrange stuffed shells in an 8-inch square glass baking dish.
3.  In a medium bowl, whisk together marinara sauce and basil/oregano. Pour sauce evenly over shells and top with 1/2 cup Parmesan. Bake until sauce in center of dish is bubbling and Parmesan is browned in spots, about 30 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.