Lentil & Ricotta Manicotti in Marinara – Lentils.org

Lentil & Ricotta Manicotti in Marinara

  By lentilsorg      

September 6, 2016

.0 0

You can prepare most components of our lentil ricotta manicotti a day or two in advance. An hour before showtime you can assemble the dish, then sit back and let them bake in marinara for some Italian-inspired perfection!

  • Prep: 30 Minutes
  • Cook: 1 Hour

  • 30 Minutes

    1 Hour

    1 Hour 30 Minutes

  • Yields: 6
Full-screen

Directions

  1. Place a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add olive oil. When hot, stir in onions and sauté for 5 minutes until soft. Stir in garlic and let cook for another minute. Stir in crushed tomatoes, salt, sugar, and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and let sauce cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in basil and adjust the seasonings with more salt and pepper, if needed.
  2. In a large bowl, stir together spinach, lentils, ricotta, 1 cup (250 mL) of mozzarella, 1/ 4 cup (60 mL) of Parmesan, eggs, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
  3. Preheat oven to 350˚F (180˚C). Spread about 1 1/ 2 cups (375 mL) of marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch (22x30 cm) baking dish.
  4. Using your hands, stuff the filling inside the manicotti noodles, laying them down in the sauce once they are filled. If any extra filling remains, scatter it on top of the noodles.
  5. Pour the remaining marinara sauce over the noodles and top with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 50 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes until the noodles are tender and cheese is slightly browned. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Quick tips: To save time, use store-bought marinara sauce - about 1 L (4 cups). Marinara sauce can be made up to 4 days ahead.

The lentil and ricotta filling can be made up to 1 day ahead.

Ingredients

MARINARA SAUCE:

2 Tbsp (30 mL) olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 can (28 oz/796 mL) crushed tomatoes

1 tsp (5 mL) salt

1 tsp (5 mL) sugar

1/4 tsp (1 mL) pepper

1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped fresh basil OR 2 tsp (10 mL) dried basil

FILLING:

1 package (10 oz/300 g) frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 1/2 cups (375 mL) cooked split red lentils

1 1/2 cups (375 mL) ricotta cheese

1 1/2 cups (375 mL) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

3/4 cup (175 mL) grated Parmesan cheese, divided

2 large eggs

1 tsp (5 mL) salt

1/4 tsp (1 mL) pepper

pinch, ground nutmeg

1 box (12-14 tubes) manicotti noodles

close full screen
00:00

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size2 stuffed manicotti
Calories530
Sodium1580 mg
Potassium775 mg
Protein36 g
Cholesterol105 mg
Sugar9 g
Total Fat21 g
Saturated Fat9 g
Total Carbohydrates105 mg
Dietary Fiber9 g