Four-Cheese Sausage Manicotti

Ingredients

• 8 oz. uncooked manicotti shells
• 1 (16-oz.) pkg. Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 9 garlic cloves, minced, divided
• 1 (26-oz.) jar seven-herb tomato pasta sauce
• 1 (8-oz.) container chive-and-onion cream cheese
• 24 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 6 cups), divided
• 3 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated (about ¾ cup)
• 1 (15-oz.) container ricotta cheese
• ¾ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. 1Heat the oven to 350°F. Boil the manicotti shells following the package instructions until tender, then drain well. Rinsing them briefly in cold water stops the cooking process and makes them easier to handle.
2. 2Place the Italian sausage, chopped onion, and half of the minced garlic in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook for about 6 minutes, breaking the meat apart until browned and no longer pink. Pour in the tomato pasta sauce and bring the mixture to a boil, then remove the pot from the heat.
3. 3Mix the chive-and-onion cream cheese, 4 cups of the shredded mozzarella, grated Parmesan, ricotta, black pepper, and the remaining minced garlic in a large bowl until fully combined.
4. 4Spread 1 cup of the meat sauce evenly across the bottom of a lightly greased 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Slice a lengthwise slit down each cooked manicotti shell. This clever trick makes stuffing the pasta much faster.
5. 5Fill the sliced noodles evenly with the cheese mixture and gently press the cut edges back together. Place the stuffed shells into the baking dish over the sauce with the seam facing down, then pour the rest of the meat sauce over the top.
6. 6Scatter the remaining 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the pasta.
7. 7Cover the dish and bake in the heated oven for about 50 minutes until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling. Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes before serving so the cheese filling can set properly.

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