Manicotti With Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Ingredients
8 large dried manicotti pasta shells or similar
2 sweet red peppers
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup 1% milk
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 1/2 cups low-fat or part-skim ricotta cheese
3/4 cup chopped spinach, thawed, with excess water gently squeezed out
6 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup prepared pesto sauce, found in the frozen pasta section
4 green onions, white and part of green, chopped
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
pepper to taste
salt to taste, (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with canola cooking spray.
Boil manicotti shells according to directions on package until tender. Drain, rinse with cold water, and carefully set aside.
While manicotti is boiling, turn on the broiler. Cut each red pepper into quarters and remove inside flesh and seeds. Cut each quarter in half to make eight strips total. Lay strips, skin side down, on a nonstick baking sheet (line with foil for easy cleanup, if desired). Brush the tops of pepper strips with olive oil.
Broil until the top sides are nicely brown, watching carefully. Flip and broil until brown. Let peppers cool slightly. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a food processor, puree pepper strips with milk, garlic, and pepper to taste. Add salt to taste if desired. Keep sauce at a low simmer in a small, covered, nonstick saucepan while you bake the manicotti.
Mix filling ingredients (ricotta, spinach, Parmesan cheese, pesto, green onions, and Italian seasonings) in a bowl with spoon or fork. Stuff shells with the cheese mixture.
Arrange in a baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes, then uncover and bake 10 minutes more.
Serve one or two manicotti shells per person; decorate each shell with ample red pepper sauce.
https://freerecipenetwork.com/manicotti-with-roasted-red-pepper-sauce/