Ravioli, The Christmas Eve Way

So, I was surprised I hadn't put this all up here and figured I had better :).

Here we go

Insides:
1 lb ground round beef (mom buys ground chuck)
1/2 pound sausage
4-5 garlic minced
Small onion (put in food grinder)
1/2 cup parsley
1meduim can spinach drained and ground
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp allspice
3 eggs
2 handful cracker crumbs

Fry sausage first, then cook ground onions and minced parsley in sausage until soft. Add ground round. Mix well, cook a few minutes add spinach and finish cooking. Remove from heat. Add 2 handfuls crumbs cook well. Add eggs and mix well.

Pasta: (we use butter)
3 cups flour
2 eggs
2 tablespoon margarine
1 cup warm
1/4 tsp salt

Sift flour and salt in a bowl. Make a well, add margarine and egg. Add enough water to make stiff dough. Knead until smooth, cover, let stand about 10 min. Cut in half, roll thin

Tomato sauce
Dice fine and sauté 1 onion in butter until golden brown. Add 4x 8 oz cans tomato sauce and 1 can water. Simmer 30-45 minutes. Watch closely so that it doesn’t burn.

Serve on ravioli and use plenty of parmesean cheese

One Pot Spicy Rigatoni

Yum! This was delicious! I really liked it! It only had one weird ingredient, Hot Cherry Peppers. The only place in Logan that I could find them was at our natural grocery store…. Annoying. But here's a picture of what the jarred ones look like:

That isn't the brand that I found, but they were sliced. I decided that about 4-5 slices equals one whole pepper (they're not very big). And wow it was plenty spicy. Next time I would cut down to the equivalent of probably 4 of the peppers instead of 6. And for people like Mom and Danielle, maybe even just do 3. You don't want to cut it out too much because the spicy is what makes it awesome. It says that red pepper flakes are optional, it was definitely warm enough that it didn't need that.

Also this makes a lot! Obviously since it uses a pound of pasta.

http://blog.hostthetoast.com/one-pot-spicy-chicken-riggies/

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 5 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
• 1.5 lbs chicken breast, cut into small chunks
• 2 large roasted red peppers, sliced into thin strips
• 6 hot cherry peppers, chopped and deseeded
• 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup cooking sherry or white wine
• 1 cup water
• 1 lb Rigatoni
• 1 cup pecorino romano or parmesan cheese
• ½ stick butter
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons fresh basil
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• Crushed red pepper flakes, optional

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add in the garlic and chicken. Sauté the chicken until it is just browned on the outside but not cooked through.
2. Stir in the roasted red peppers and hot cherry peppers, and sauté for a minute. Add in the crushed tomatoes and sherry or wine. Add in the water and pasta and bring to a low boil. (If there isn't enough liquid, add a bit more water.) Continue to cook, stirring often, until the pasta has cooked to al dente, about 15-20 minutes.
3. Reduce to low heat and add in the butter, basil, and salt. When the butter completely melts into the pasta, add in the cream and cheese. Let simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Top with additional cheese, basil, and red pepper flakes if you really like a lot of heat!
4. Serve warm.

Grilled Asian Chicken with Peanut Noodles and Cucumber Salsa

Whew… What a title. Anyway this way yummy and fresh and super spicy. I didn't have chili garlic sauce but I did just have chili sauce, so I used that.  Definitely would have been fine with 1/2 tablespoon using that. I'm sure if I had followed the recipe and used the right sauce, it would have been fine though. 

Anyway this was fast and yummy!

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/grilled-asian-chicken-with-peanut-noodles/

Cucumber Sambal:
• 1 cup seeded and diced cucumbers
• 1/2 cup thinly chopped green onions, white and green parts
• 1/2 cup small diced red pepper
• 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, more or less to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
Grilled Chicken and Noodles:
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar, divided (you'll use some for the chicken, some for the noodles)
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce divided (same as the brown sugar)
• 1 teaspoon peanut, canola, vegetable or coconut oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
• 12 ounces dry spaghetti noodles
• 1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from about 2 limes)
• 1 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce, more or less to taste
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS

1. For the cucumber sambal, toss all the ingredients together and chill until ready to serve (this can be made a couple hours or even 1-2 days ahead of time).
2. Preheat a grill to medium or medium-high heat. In a medium bowl, combine 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, oil and salt. Add the chicken breasts and toss to coat the chicken with the sauce. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
3. While the chicken rests in the marinade, start a large pot of salted water to boil.
4. In a microwave-safe bowl or in a small saucepan, combine the broth, peanut butter, remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar, vinegar, lime juice, remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, ginger, chili garlic sauce and sesame oil. Heat, stirring often, until simmering and smooth. Off the heat (or after it is done microwaving), stir in the cilantro. Season with a dash of salt, more or less to taste.
5. Add the noodles to the boiling water and cook until al dente.
6. While the noodles cook, grill the chicken 4-5 minutes per side until cooked through (about 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer). Remove to a plate and tent with foil.
7. When the noodles are finished cooking, reserve about 1/2 cup of the cooking water in a bowl and then drain the noodles. Dump the noodles into a bowl or on a serving platter and toss with the warm peanut sauce. Add a tablespoon or two of the hot pasta water if needed to loosen up the noodles and sauce a bit (especially helpful if the noodles have sat for 5-10 minutes before serving).
8. Serve the grilled chicken with the peanut noodles (you can even top the grilled chicken with the noodles) and a heaping scoop of the cucumber sambal.

Lasagna Primavera

Considering the fact that this was a meatless pasta, it was insanely dense. Probably the heaviest (in weight) pasta I have ever made. And I have made some heavy pastas! Anyway, this was very filling and I was really please with it! Makes a ton! So I should probably consider halving it next time, but it's been nice having lunch taken care of!

For the sauce you can use store bought. Or even mom's spaghetti sauce would work (then it wouldn't be meatless!) I used the sauce from the manicotti recipe (also on here) because I knew I liked it. But really any red sauce would work.

Also I did all the vegetable chopping in my food processor! It made things go much faster and it was less chunky.

It's also great that it sits for 15 minutes, perfect for cooking bread/ rolls!

Very yummy!

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2010/09/lasagna-primavera.html

• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 3 zucchini (about 2 ½ to 3 cups finely chopped – mine were in 1/4-inch or less pieces)
• 2 squash (about 2 cups finely chopped – 1/4-inch or less pieces)
• 2 cups chopped broccoli
• 20 ounces chopped frozen spinach, thawed and drained well (or squeezed through a towel) I just used fresh spinach because I think frozen spinach is gross. And I put it in the food processor to shred it up. 
• 3 cups ricotta cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 16 ounces mozzarella, shredded (about 4 cups)
• 4-6 ounces Parmesan cheese, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 2 (24-ounce) jars pasta sauce or use 6 cups of homemade sauce
• 12 no-boil lasagna noodles (I love the Barilla brand), or 12 regular lasagna noodles, boiled and drained

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine all the chopped vegetables (carrots, broccoli, zucchini, squash) with 1/2 teaspoon salt and steam briefly, for 2-3 minutes, to soften them just a bit (they’ll finish cooking in the oven after the lasagna is assembled).
3. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, spinach and salt. Mix well.
4. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan. Spoon about 3/4 cup sauce onto the bottom of the pan and spread around. It will be a thin layer. Cover with four no-boil lasagna noodles, overlapping slightly. Spoon in 1/3 of the lightly steamed vegetables evenly. Spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture over the vegetables then sprinkle with 1/3 of the mozzarella and 1/4 of the Parmesan cheese. Pour 1/3 of the remaining sauce over the cheese, lightly spreading it to the edges. Repeat the layers (noodles, vegetables, ricotta, mozzarella/parm, sauce) two more times, ending with the last of the sauce. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese over the top. This lasagna will be piled high – above the rim of your 9X13-inch pan, but it will settle as it bakes.
5. Cover the lasagna with a sheet of lightly greased foil and place the 9X13-inch pan on a large baking sheet lined with foil (this is important since the lasagna will bubble and spit over the edge a bit as it bakes). Bake, covered, for 50 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 minutes longer. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Creamy Sausage and Tomato Pasta

This was a fast, delicious pasta dish. Perfect with crusty bread! We were both very happy with this meal, and Sam's engineering friends were jealous the next day. He must normally hide when he eats because they were all amazed at his homemade lunch… which he has basically everyday… Anyway fast and good!

http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2011/09/creamy-sausage-and-tomato-pasta.html

Ingredients
• 4-5 Italian sausages (about 1 pound) found in the fresh meat department (see Note)
• 1 cup chopped onion- I randomly didn't have an onion so I just used dried
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (16 ounce) can Italian style diced tomatoes
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 5-6 big leaves of fresh basil, chopped
• 12 ounces penne pasta (get a 16 ounce box and use 3/4 of it)
• grated Parmesan for topping

Cook the pasta in salted water al dente, according to package directions.

While pasta is cooking, brown the sausage. Remove the casings, brown and crumble the sausages like you would ground beef.

Add the onions and garlic to the sausage and saute for a couple of minutes.

Pour in the entire can of diced tomatoes and the tomato sauce and heat through.

Pour in the cream and heat through. The longer you cook the sauce the thicker it will get so simmer it until it is the consistency you want.

Add the fresh basil and let it simmer for a few minutes.

Finally, mix the sausage sauce with the pasta and serve. Top each serving with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Serve with crusty garlic bread.

Penne with Balsamic Butter

This was good and fast! Originally it called for asparagus but I decided that roasted broccoli would be just as delicious. Also I added shredded chicken. 

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2011/04/penne-with-roasted-asparagus-and-balsamic-butter.html

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound fresh asparagus spears or Broccoli if you're cool like me
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon light or dark brown sugar
• 1 pound penne pasta
• 4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• Shredded chicken

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Snap the tough ends off the asparagus and discard them. Cut the asparagus spears into 1-inch pieces. Put the asparagus on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with the oil and ¼ teaspoon of the salt and ¼ of the pepper. Roast until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. If doing broccoli, cut up, toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast for 15 minutes ish at 400 degrees.
2. While the asparagus roasts, put the vinegar in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until the vinegar is reduced to about 3 tablespoons, about 5-10 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar and the remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper. Remove from the heat.
3. Cook the penne in a large pot of boiling salted water until just done, 11-13 minutes. Drain the pasta and return to the pot. Stir in the butter and vinegar mixture. Toss to combine well. Add in the asparagus, Parmesan, and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Serve immediately with additional Parmesan cheese for serving.

Penne Spinach Salad

I was getting bored with dinner ideas and this looked different and interesting. I really liked it! 

The original recipe calls for Smoked mozzarella which I didn't see so I used feta. I also added chopped sun dried tomatoes and shredded chicken. All in all a very yummy meal. I think this would be fantastic in the summer too. 

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2011/04/smoked-mozzarella-and-penne-salad.html

• 
  
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup white whine vinegar
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper to taste
Salad:
• 12 ounces penne pasta
• 3 cups packed baby spinach
• 12 ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and diced
• 4-6 ounces smoked mozzarella cheese, diced or feta, or normal mozzarella or any other type of cheese your heart desires
• Sun Dried tomatoes (optional)
• Shredded chicken (optional)
• 
  

1. For the dressing, combine the Parmesan cheese, parsley, mayo, vinegar, garlic, cayenne and salt and pepper in a blender and process until the dressing is smooth. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. The dressing can be made up to two days ahead of time.
2. To prepare the salad, cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water until just tender, al dente. Drain the pasta into a colander and run cold water over it and drain well. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked pasta, spinach, roasted red peppers and smoked mozzarella. At this point, the salad and dressing can be refrigerated for a couple of hours separately before serving.
3. Toss the salad with the dressing right before serving.

Lemon and Spinach Spaghetti

This was very good. I definitely added shredded chicken to it for dinner. But it was easy and delicious. 

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2014/01/light-lemon-and-spinach-spaghetti.html

• 12 ounces spaghetti or angel hair pasta
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
• 6-9 cups coarsely chopped fresh baby spinach
• 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• Zest of 1 lemon (about 1 teaspoon or so)
• 6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 
  

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil and cook the noodles until al dente, according to package directions. Drain and rinse briefly with cool water and set aside.
2. While the noodles are boiling, in a large 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat the butter over medium heat until melted. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes, careful not to let the garlic burn.
3. Toss in the chopped spinach and pour in the chicken broth. Simmer the mixture 2-3 minutes until the spinach is wilted. Toss in the cooked noodles, using tongs or two forks to lift the noodles up and over to distribute the spinach mixture.
4. Add the lemon zest and juice. Toss the noodle mixture and heat through, 1-2 more minutes.
5. Serve immediately with a sprinkle of fresh Parmesan cheese.

Pasta with Butternut Squash and Sausage

This was quite good. Interesting flavors all melded together. I halved it and there was still quite a lot of leftovers just fyi for everyone besides Danielle who are now cooking for fewer people. 

I was impatient with cooking the butternut squash and should have let it cook longer so it was softer. FYI this isn't meant to be super saucy. 

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2014/01/skillet-butternut-squash-sausage-and-penne-pasta.html

1 large shallot (or 1/4 cup minced yellow or white onion)

• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
• 1 pound chicken sausage (if links, remove the casing)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 5 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 12 ounces penne pasta
• 3 cups peeled and diced butternut squash
• 3 cups coarsely chopped fresh baby spinach
• 2 large sage leaves, torn into small pieces, or 1/4 teaspoon dried, more or less to taste
• 1 cup (about 4 ounces) shredded or cubed fontina or mozzarella cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Freshly grated Parmesan for serving, if desired

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large 12-inch nonstick skillet, combine the shallot, garlic, sausage, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, breaking up the meat into small pieces, and cooking until the sausage is cooked through, 5-7 minutes. Scrape the mixture to a plate and return the skillet back to the heat.
2. Add the chicken broth and pasta and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, and cook for about 8 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking and the pasta clumping together. Stir in the squash and simmer 5-7 minutes longer until the squash and pasta are both tender. As the squash breaks down, it will help bring a creaminess to the sauce and pasta so add more liquid, if necessary, while cooking if the mixture seems dry.
3. Stir in the spinach and sage and cook for 1-2 minutes until the spinach is wilted. Add the sausage/shallot mixture back to the skillet and stir in the fontina or mozzarella cheese and add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Off the heat, cover the skillet with a lid or foil and let the pasta sit for 5-10 minutes. Give it a good stir and serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Roasted Balsamic Veggie Pasta Sauce

That is a very long name. But this sauce was very good! I loved that the vegetables were roasted in balsamic, it just made them that much better. And that they were roasted instead of sautéed, that was different. 

I did NOT use egg plant. I think it's gross. So instead we used yellow squash, and that was great. You could also throw in cauliflower, broccoli, another pepper, anything that's in your fridge, and it would be delicious!

Anyway, great no meat dish that we both enjoyed quite a bit. 

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2013/10/roasted-balsamic-vegetable-pasta-sauce.html

• 1 eggplant, diced, about 2-3 cups
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 zucchini (or 1 large), diced, about 2-3 cups
• 1 red pepper, cored, seeded and diced
• 1 yellow pepper, cored, seeded and diced
• 8 ounces white button mushrooms, stems removed, mushrooms quartered or halved
• 1 red onion, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch pieces
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary or 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped
• 2 cans (28 ounces each) crushed tomatoes
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
• Hot, cooked pasta for serving
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. Place the chopped eggplant in a large colander set over a bowl or in the sink and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the salt and stir well. Drain for 30 minutes. Rinse the eggplant under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Combine the eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, mushrooms and onion in a large bowl.
3. In a small bowl or liquid measure, whisk together the oil, vinegar, garlic and rosemary until well blended; pour over the vegetables and toss until evenly coated. Scoop the vegetables onto a large, rimmed baking sheet (12X18-inches) spreading out evenly (use two pans if it seems only one pan is overly full).
4. Bake the vegetables for 25-35 minutes until the vegetables are golden and tender, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle remaining the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt over the cooked vegetables (more to taste if needed).
5. While the vegetables roast, combine the crushed tomatoes, water, sugar, basil and pepper flakes in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Add roasted vegetables to the tomato mixture. Simmer for 5 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. Serve over hot cooked pasta with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Stuffed Shells with Sausage and Mushrooms

I now understand why I hadn't posted this. It's because it's not online, only in the OBB book. Oh well, I will post it here and type. How archaic.

Anyway I think this dish is really great. And filling. And delicious.

Ingredients:

• 1 (12 oz) box of jumbo pasta shells
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter
• 8 oz cremini mushrooms, stems discarded and caps diced
• 1 (15 oz) container of ricotta cheese
• 2 eggs lightly beaten
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 3/4 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 12 oz Italian turkey sausage (I think I just used normal Italian sausage)
• 1 9 oz box frozen spinach, thawed or 6 cups loosely packed fresh spinach (I always use fresh, frozen spinach just seems weird to me)
• 2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 (26-32 oz) jar marinara sauce

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook pasta shells al dente according to package directions
3. Heat a medium skillet to medium heat. Melt butter and add mushrooms. Saute for 3-4 minutes until mushrooms are golden brown. Place ricotta in a large mixing bowl. Add eggs, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Still to combine. When mushrooms are cooked, add to ricotta mixture and return empty skillet to stove top.
4. Cook sausage in skillet. Break up with a spatula until browned and crumbly. Add sausage to ricotta mixture. 
5. if used thawed spinach, squeeze moisture from spinach and roughly chop. If using fresh spinach, just roughly chop. Add spinach to ricotta/meat mixture and fold together. Add 2 cups mozzarella and 1 cup parmesan to the mixture. 
6. Spread marinara sauce evenly on the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Fill each pasta shell with 2 rounded tablespoons of filling and nestle snugly in the pan on top of the sauce. You should be able to fill 24-26 shells. Top with remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Cover with foil and bake 50-60 minutes or until bubbly all over. Remove foil about 10-15 minutes before end of baking time. 

They note that one box of shells will have more than you need but it's good to cook it all anyway in case some shells break or die. 

You can make this ahead of time and refrigerate for 1-2 days or freeze up to 2 months. Thaw frozen before cooking and increase to like 2 hours. 

Baked Manicotti

This was awesome. Especially since it was a meatless meal and it still tasted awesome. However, you could totally use mom's spaghetti sauce (which I would link to if it was on here) instead of the sauce it calls for and have meat-y manicotti. In her description she was all like, it's worth the extra work. I didn't think it was that work intensive, but maybe that because I like stuffed shells. Which I just realized I haven't posted that recipe... Oops.

Anyway great meal.

The noodles that you want look like this: http://www.barilla.com/content/product/oven-ready-lasagne

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2009/09/best-baked-manicotti.html

INGREDIENTS

Tomato Sauce:
• 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes (in juice)
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 medium cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
Cheese Filling and Pasta:
• 3 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
• 4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 cups)
• 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (about 2 cups)
• 2 large eggs , lightly beaten
• 3/4 teaspoon table salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves (or 2 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley)
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil (or 1 teaspoon dried basil)
• 16 no-boil lasagna noodles (I use the Barilla brand – apparently they are supposed to be the most similar to homemade pasta and I love them, both in this and in lasagna)

DIRECTIONS

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Heat oil, garlic, and pepper flakes (if using) in large saucepan over medium heat until fragrant but not brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, basil and 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes.
3. In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, 1 cup Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, eggs, salt, pepper, and herbs; set aside.
4. To assemble, pour 1 inch boiling water into 13 by 9-inch baking dish, then add noodles one at a time. Let noodles soak until pliable, about 5 minutes, separating noodles with tip of sharp knife to prevent sticking. Remove noodles from water and place in single layer on clean kitchen towels; discard water in baking dish and dry baking dish.
5. Spread bottom of baking dish evenly with 1 1/2 cups sauce. Using soupspoon, spread 1/4 cup cheese mixture evenly onto bottom three-quarters of each noodle (with short side facing you), leaving top quarter of noodle exposed. Roll into tube shape and arrange in baking dish seam side down. (You should be able to fit 8 manicotti in each row, allowing all 16 to fit in the dish). Top evenly with remaining sauce, making certain that pasta is completely covered.
6. Cover manicotti with aluminum foil. Bake until bubbling, about 40 minutes, then remove foil. Sprinkle manicotti evenly with remaining 1 cup Parmesan. Bake until cheese is browned and bubbly, about 6-7 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes before serving.
7. The manicotti can be prepared right up until the baking step then covered with a sheet of parchment paper, wrapped in aluminum foil, and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month. (If frozen, thaw the manicotti in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days.) To bake, remove the parchment, replace the aluminum foil, and increase baking time to 1 to 1 1/4 hours.