Baked Manicotti with Sausage

Baked Manicotti with Sausage (From Cook's Illustrated)

Ingredients:

TOMATO SAUCE
2 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound Italian sausage, hot or sweet, casings removed
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed (about 1 tablespoon)
1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Salt

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 salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
16 no-boil lasagna noodles

INSTRUCTIONS

1. For the Sauce: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Pulse 1 can tomatoes with their juice in a food processor until coarsely chopped, 3 or 4 pulses. Transfer to bowl. Repeat with remaining can of tomatoes.

2. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat, add sausage and stir to break sausage into 1/2 inch pieces, until no longer pink, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and pepper flakes to sausage and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. Stir in basil and adjust seasonings with salt.

3. For the Cheese Filling: Combine ricotta, 1 cup Parmesan, mozzarella, eggs, salt, pepper, and herbs in medium bowl; set aside.

4.  To Assemble:  Pour 1-inch boiling water into 13 x 9-inch broiler safe baking dish, then add noodles one at a time. Let noodles soak until pliable, about 5 minutes, separating noodles with tip of a sharp knife to prevent sticking. Remove noodles from water and place in a single layer on clean kitchen towels; discard water in baking dish and dry dish.

5.  Spread bottom of baking dish evenly with 1 1/2 cups sauce. Using soupspoon, spread 1/4 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 rolling from the bottom up and arrange on baking dish seam side down. Top evenly with remaining sauce, making sure that pasta is completely covered.

6. Cover manicotti with aluminum foil. Bake until bubbling, about 40 minutes, then remove foil. Remove baking dish, adjust oven rack to uppermost position and heat broiler. Sprinkle manicotti evenly with remaining 1 cup Parmesan. Broil until cheese is spotty brown, watch closely. Cool 15 minutes, then serve.

One-Minute Salsa

From Cook's Illustrated. Makes about 1 cup

1/2 small jalapeno chile or 1/2 chipotle chili in adobo sauce, minced
1/4 small red onion, peeled and root end removed
1 small garlic clove, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch ground black pepper
2 teaspoons juice from 1 lime
2 small ripe tomatoes each cored and cut into eights, or one (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained

Pulse all ingredients except tomatoes in food processor until minced, about five 1-second pulses, scraping sides of bowl as necessary. Add tomatoes and pulse until roughly chopped, about two 1-second pulses.