Homemade Baked Manicotti

This dish is decadent and really makes your guests (or just you) feel special. The great part is that this dish is one of the easiest to make! Just make some of your favorite sauce and follow this recipe and you're all set!

Ingredients:

- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 3 eggs
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 1 cup sun dried tomatoes, packed in olive oil, chopped
- Sauce (your favorite recipe or My Ultimate Sauce Recipe)
- salt
- olive oil
- Fresh Basil
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp. dried basil
- 1 tbsp. dried oregano
- 1 tbsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- pasta machine
- rolling pin

To Make:

Pre-heat oven to 365


clean a large surface and dust with flour. Take 2 cups of flour and arrange in the center. Dig out the middle to form a well with high walls. Crack 3 eggs into the center of the well. Season with salt and drizzle with olive oil. Using a fork, gently begin beating the eggs in the middle and slowly begin incorporating the flour into the eggs. Do not break the well. When the dough begins forming, use your hands to knead the rest of the flour into the mix. Knead for 5-6 minutes, then form into a ball and cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 10 minutes.

In the meantime, in a large pan, saute the diced onions, garlic and sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil for 5 minutes. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together all three cheeses, add in the sauteed garlic, onion and tomato mixture then add the spices: dried oregano, dried basil, garlic power, pepper, season with salt and the crushed red pepper flakes.

Mix well.

Next, set up the pasta machine. Unroll the dough and cut into 4 sections. Roll out with the rolling pin and try to form long rectangles. Cut the dough to make these shapes before passing through the pasta machine. Run the dough through the pasta machine all the way to the last setting. Then cut the long strip in half or in threes depending on how long it comes out.

Continue this process with all the dough until you have several pieces of rectangular shaped pieces roughly 8-10 inches long. 

Place the cheese mixture longways down one side of the pasta. Roll the pasta up and set fold side down. Continue until all is done.

In a large baking dish, arrange a thick layer of sauce on the bottom. Gently place the manicotti in the dish. Spoon sauce over top covering the manicotti. The sauce will cook the pasta in the oven.

Cover with tin foil and bake for 34-40 minutes.

Cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Then serve with fresh basil over top.