Four-Cheese Manicotti – a cheesy and meaty hearty pasta dish perfect anytime.
This is a wonderful dish to make for company, or even to make ahead, and reheat for later. Cheese and meat fill large manicotti shells. Enjoy this classic Italian dish anytime.
2 15 oz. cans tomato puree
1 15 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 15 oz. can tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 tbs. Italian Seasoning
4 shakes of Tabasco Sauce
1 c Red Wine Cooking Sherry
1/2 c Vodka (alcohol will evaporate)
2 tbs. Sea Salt
1/4 c sugar
1 standard box Manicotti pasta, cooked, drained & cooled
1 15 oz. Ricotta Cheese
1 egg
1 c Grated Parmesan Cheese
2 c Finely Shredded Italian Cheese Blend
2 c Mozzarella Cheese
1 to 2 lbs. Ground Beef
Wax Paper & butter knife
In large saucepan or stock pot, mix tomato puree, crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Add chopped garlic, chopped onion, Italian seasoning, Tabasco Sauce, cooking sherry, vodka, and sea salt. Mix thoroughly. Allow sauce to cook for approximately 1 hour and then taste. If desired, add some or all of the sugar (sugar reduces the “tang” of the tomatoes). Continue cooking sauce on low heat for several more hours (ideally and for a richer blend of the seasonings, sauce should be refrigerated overnight and cooked for an additional 2-3 hours the following day for optimal flavor). Thoroughly cook ground beef and drain (rinse with water if necessary to remove all grease). Return to pan and season with a few shakes each of salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder, and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Remove and add meat to sauce. Cook pasta according the package directions, drain and allow to cool, separately, on wax paper. In a separate mixing bowl, blend Ricotta cheese, egg, grated parmesan and the shredded Italian cheese blend until thoroughly mixed.
Using the butter knife, begin to stuff the manicotti shells with cheese mixture until all is used. In a large baking pan (a lasagna pan is best), spread a layer of sauce that completely covers the bottom of the pan. Align the stuffed manicotti shells in the pan atop the sauce. Use remaining sauce to completely cover the pasta. Use as much or as little as desired of the mozzarella shredded cheese to cover. Bake in a 350 degree oven until cheese bubbles and begins to turn a golden brown. Remove, cool, and serve.
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CopyKat.com is the creation of Stephanie Manley. Stephanie started publishing recipes on the web in 1995 as a means to capture her family recipes in a format that they would not be thrown away. Over the years she has developed many recipes that taste just like the restaurant originals that you would normally go out to try. 
I once HATED filling shells. Love the result, but not the work. Finally, an Italian friend of mine told me I was going about it the wrong way. His grandmother taught him to cut one side of the manicotti, stuff them, then place them seam side down in the baking pan. No one was ever the wiser. It makes Manicotti MUCH easier!