My mom’s manicotti recipe was always one of my favorites! It was like spaghetti (another favorite) but cheesier. 🙂 I think I have my mom’s manicotti recipe somewhere, but I came across this one to try in the meantime. It’s not as quick and easy as the recipe I grew up eating, but it’s still very good!

Serves: 6-8

Meat Sauce:
1 onion, chopped
6 oz. sliced deli pepperoni, chopped
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 T. tomato paste
5 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 t. red pepper flakes
2 (28 oz.) cans crushed tomatoes
salt & pepper

Manicotti:
3 c. (24 oz) ricotta cheese
2-1/2 c. (10 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese*
1-1/2 c. (6 oz) shredded provolone cheese*
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1/4 c. finely chopped fresh basil
16 no-boil lasagna noodles

*I just used 16 oz. Italian blend cheese instead of these two.

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 375F/190C. Heat onion, pepperoni, and beef in a large saucepan over medium heat, breaking up mixture with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
2. Using slotted spoon, transfer 1 cup beef mixture to a paper towel-lined plate and reserve. Add tomato paste, garlic, and pepper flakes to pot with remaining meat mixture and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (At this point, sauce can be refrigerated in airtight container for 3 days.)
3. Combine ricotta, 2 cups mozzarella, 1 cup provolone, egg, salt, pepper, basil, and reserved meat mixture in large bowl.
4. Pour 2 quarts boiling water into 9×13″ baking dish. Soak noodles until pliable, about 5 minutes. Drain noodles on kitchen towel. Pour off water and dry baking dish.
5. Spread half of meat sauce over bottom of baking dish. Following photos below, top each soaked noodle with 1/4 cup cheese filling, roll, and arrange, seam-side down, over sauce in baking dish.

6. Spread remaining sauce over manicotti. Cover with foil and bake until bubbling around edges, about 40 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and provolone. Bake until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes. Serve.