Manicotti

14 pieces (8oz) Manicotti, uncooked
1 3/4 cups (15 oz container) part skim ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese)
2 cups (8oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 cups (about 28 oz jar) spaghetti sauce

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Cool in single layer on foil. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, stir together cheeses, parsley, salt and pepper. Spoon into cooled pasta tubes. Spread thin layer of sauce on bottom of 13x9x2 inch baking dish; arrange filled pasta in single layer over sauce. Pour remaining sauce over pasta; cover with foil. Bake 40 minutes. Remove foil; bake 15 minutes longer until hot and bubbly.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Super Simple Pesto Pasta

Another thing I like to make is pesto pasta...super simple..

Whole Wheat Pasta
Parmesan Cheese (grated from a block or preshred)
Pesto (homemade or store bought, I've tried both)
Cilantro
Tomatoes

Cook pasta, drain, then add cheese while pasta is still hot. Stir in small amounts to avoid clumps. Then add pesto and stir. Last, add cilantro and tomatoes. DONE!

It's so easy and you can add as much of any of that as you like. You could even add more veggies to it like bell peppers and I think it would taste fabulous!

:) Brenley