Pasta Alla Romana Improv

When working on this week's menu, I knew that I wanted to make a dish that included both spinach and ricotta cheese as I had picked some up for a good price. So I searched and searched and found a recipe for manicotti that used both and placed it on the menu. Then through a mix-up I didn't remember to pick up the manicotti noodles. I still needed to prepare a make-ahead meal and I had plenty of other pastas in the cupboard, so I improvised. This dish can be made using almost any pasta (except maybe spaghetti, fettuccine, angel hair, etc.).

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 pound ground beef, turkey, chicken, italian sausage, etc.
• salt and pepper to taste
• 8 ounce spinach, chopped
• 1 (12 ounce) package pasta
• Macaroni
• Penne or Penne rigate
• Rigatoni
• Ziti
• Rotini
• you could even use lasagna noodles!
• 1 1/2 cups (15 oz container) low fat ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup light sour cream
• 3 cups (26 oz. jar) spaghetti sauce
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
• 2 cups 2% milk
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onions until translucent. Saute garlic for 1 minute and stir in ground meat. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until browned and crumbled. Add spaghetti sauce and basil. Set aside to cool.
2. In a frying pan, cook spinach in remaining olive oil till wilted, 5-8 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool; add sour cream, and ricotta cheese.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and parboil for half of the time recommended on the package. Drain and rinse with cool water.
4. Prepare the white sauce by melting the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and chicken bouillon. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring constantly, until it begins to bubble. Stir in milk and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in parsley.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
6. Spread 1/4 cup spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
7. Layer in the following order:
• 1/2 pasta
  
• 1/2 cream sauce
• 1/2 ricotta mixture
• 1/2 red sauce
  
8. Cover and bake for 40 minutes. Remove from oven, uncover and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes more.

Of course, if you want to stick with using Manicotti noodles, you can follow the original recipe (with my ingredient changes) - Manicotti Alla Romana

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 pound ground beef, turkey, chicken, italian sausage, etc.
• salt and pepper to taste
• 8 ounces fresh spinach, chopped
• 1 (12 ounce) package manicotti shells
• 1 1/2 cups (15 oz container) low fat ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup light sour cream
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3 cups (26 oz jar) spaghetti sauce, divided
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
• 2 cups 2% milk
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onions until translucent. Saute garlic for 1 minute and stir in ground meat. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until browned and crumbled. Add spinach and cook till wilted. Set aside to cool.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add manicotti shells and parboil for half of the time recommended on the package. Drain and cover with cool water to stop the cooking process and prevent the shells from cracking.
3. To the ground beef mixture add sour cream and ricotta cheese. When the mixture is cool, add the beaten eggs. Spread 1/4 cup spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Gently drain the manicotti shells and carefully stuff each one with the meat and cheese mixture; place shells in prepared dish. Lightly cover the dish with plastic wrap or a clean, damp towel to prevent shells from cracking.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
5. Prepare the white sauce by melting the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and chicken bouillon. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring constantly, until it begins to bubble. Stir in half and half and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in parsley. Pour or ladle the sauce evenly over the stuffed shells.
6. Stir the basil into the remaining spaghetti sauce. Carefully pour or ladle spaghetti sauce over the white sauce, trying to layer the sauces without mixing.
7. Cover and bake for 40 minutes. Remove from oven, uncover and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes more.