Three Cheese Manicotti

You save: 268 calories, 22 g fat, 15 g saturated fat

Ingredients:
8 dry manicotti shells
15-ounce container (2 cups) fat free ricotta cheese
4 ounces (about 1-1/4 cups) finely shredded low-fat
mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated reduced-fat parmesan cheese, divided
2 egg whites
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
½ teaspoon garlic powder
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
2-1/4 cups Nan's Marinara Sauce (see next page) or another low-fat marinara sauce

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place a sheet of waxed paper large enough to hold 8 filled manicotti shells on a flat work surface.

In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta, mozzarella, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, egg whites, parsley and garlic. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Transfer the filling to a sturdy medium re-sealable freezer (or other sturdy) plastic bag. Cut the corner from the bag. Place the cut end of the bag into one end of one of the pasta tubes. Squeeze the bag and fill the tube about 3/4 full. Flip it and continue filling from the other side until it is full. Then place the tube on the waxed paper. Continue with the remaining tubes. If filling remains, add equal amounts to each.

Spoon about 1/2 cup of the sauce into a 11x7-inch glass baking dish or casserole dish large enough to hold the stuffed tubes in a single layer. Spread the sauce to evenly cover the bottom. Lay the stuffed tubes side by side in the dish. Spoon the remaining sauce over the top. Then sprinkle the remaining parmesan evenly over the top of that. Cover the pan or dish with foil and bake the manicotti for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and cook the manicotti an additional 10 minutes or until heated through. Let it stand 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 4 servings.

Each (2 piece) serving has: 403 calories, 28 g protein, 55 g carbohydrates, 8 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 42 mg cholesterol, 5 g fiber, 978 mg sodium

Traditional Three Cheese Manicotti (2 pieces) has: 671 calories, 44 g protein, 56 g carbohydrates, 30 g fat, 16 g saturated fat, 118 mg cholesterol, 6 g fiber, 1777 mg sodium

Devin Says: I always cook a few extra manicotti shells, since they often tear when trying to fill them.

Devin Says: Instead of putting the shells directly into the baking dish after filling them, I always put them on a sheet of waxed paper. That way, if filling remains, I can easily add additional stuffing.

Nan's Marinara Sauce:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 cups minced sweet (yellow) onion
2 tablespoons minced or crushed garlic cloves
2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
6-ounce can tomato paste
1 cup water
2 cups finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup dried sweet basil
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 dried bay leaf

Place a 4 or 6 quart, non-stick pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil, onions and garlic. Cook the onions and garlic, stirring occasionally until they are opaque and tender but not at all browned, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and water, stirring until smooth. Add the parsley, sugar, salt, basil, cloves and bay leaf. Cover the pot and cook the sauce over the lowest heat setting for at least three hours, stirring occasionally. Serve the sauce immediately or store it in re-sealable plastic containers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or the freezer for up to 1 month.

Makes approximately 8 cups; 16 servings.

Each (1/2 cup) serving has: 65 calories, 3 g protein,13 g carbohyrates, 1 g fat, trace amount saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 366 mg sodium