Spicy Cheese Manicotti

4 Servings

Recipe from Pillsbury and Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Manicotti is the big tube shaped pasta found in boxes in the pasta aisle. They can be stuffed with all manner of good things. This pasta dish is perfect for those days when you want delicious comfort food without all the fat. Each serving of this dish has only 8 grams of fat, 310 calories and 23 grams of protein. It can be made in advance, tastes good the next day for taking to school or work in your lunchbox and can also be prepared in the microwave! It’s easy to make, but stuffing the pasta can be a bit time consuming. If you own a pastry bag, fill it with the filling and squeeze the filling into the pasta. If you don’t have a pastry bag, try putting the filling in a gallon size Ziploc bag, cutting off a corner of the bag and then squeezing the filling into the pasta. Serve this with a crisp salad and a whole wheat roll or slice of toast for a good-for-you dinner. This recipe can be easily doubled.

No-stick cooking spray
1 cup lowfat cottage cheese
2 oz. (1/2 cup) shredded lowfat part-skim Mozzarella cheese
1 large egg white, slightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon oregano leaves
16 oz. can tomatoes, undrained, chopped
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
8 uncooked manicotti shells
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 oz. can diced green chilies, undrained

Spray 12x8 inch 2 quart baking dish with cooking spray. Cook manicotti to desired doneness as directed on package. Drain; place in cold water.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In medium bowl, combine cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, Mozzarella cheese, egg white, parsley, oregano and cayenne pepper; blend well. Drain manicotti. Spoon cheese mixture into manicotti shells; place side by side in sprayed baking dish.
In medium saucepan, combine tomatoes, green chilies and cornstarch. Cook until mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly. Pour over filled manicotti in baking dish. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until bubbly.

Microwave Directions:
Prepare pasta as directed above. In a 4-cup microwave safe measuring cup or bowl, combine tomatoes, green chilies and cornstarch; blend well. Microwave on high for 6-7 minutes or until thickened, stirring once during cooking. Prepare filling and assemble manicotti as directed above. Place in an ungreased 12”x8” microwave safe dish. Pour sauce over the filled manicotti in dish. Cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 6-7 minutes or until thoroughly heated, rotating the dish ½ turn halfway through the cooking.