These manicotti are a cheese & veggie version, where I have made them with ground beef and/or Italian sausage in the past. They are going to be flavorful and delicious. Note that similar to Sicilian meatballs, the recipe calls for ground nutmeg. I always have to be really careful when cooking the manicotti shells. You don’t want to boil them to full softness as they can tear as you are removing from water and/or stuffing them. Al dente or even a little less is good, then you can use two forks, a butter knife or even chopsticks to remove them from the water. They will absorb additional liquid from the sauce poured over them while they are baking.

P.S. Today in America it is Mother’s Day, so HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY to my readers (and especially my Mom!).

Stuffed Manicotti – 350º oven 30 min

8 dried (uncooked) manicotti shells

1 c ricotta cheese

1 c shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 c Parmesan cheese

1 egg beaten

1 c chopped spinach

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp pepper

1 can Contadina [tomato] paste

1 1/4 c chicken broth

1 c sliced mushrooms

1 tsp dried Italian seasoning

Cook shells [to al dente – carefully removed from water so they don’t crack or break]. In a bowl combine spinach, nutmeg, pepper, ricotta and mozzarella. Take about 3 T to a shell and stuff. Place in 2 quart baking dish. Combine tomato paste, broth, mushrooms & [Italian] seasoning. Pour over shells. Bake 350º oven 30 min covered. Uncover. Bake 10 minutes more.