Recipe: Venetian Manicotti (with cheese sauce)

recipelink.com Chat Room Recipe Swap - 2001-07-11
From: recipelink.com

Venetian Manicotti (with cheese sauce)
From: Family Circle, Jan. 1967
Makes 8 servings

3 kinds of cheese blend in this meatless version of an Italian favorite

1 pkg. (12 oz.) manicotti noodles
2 cups (1 lb.) cream style cottage cheese
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
2 (9 oz.) pkg. frozen spinach, chopped, thawed, and drained
2 eggs
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. Italian Seasoning
dash of pepper
4 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. dry mustard
4 cups milk
1 lb. (4 cups) Cheddar cheese grated

1. Cook manicotti noodles a few at a time, in a large amount of boiling salted water, following label directions; lift out carefully with a slotted spoon so as not to break them; place in cold water until ready to fill.

2. Mix cottage and cream cheeses one package of the spinach, eggs, 1 tsp. of the salt, Italian seasoning salt, and pepper until well blended, in a medium sized bowl. Place remaining package of spinach in a small bowl and set aside for step 4.

3. Mix butter or margarine in a medium-sized saucepan; stir in flour, remaining 1 tsp. salt and mustard; cook, stirring constantly, just until bubbly. Stir in milk; continue to cook and stir until sauce thickens and boils 1 minute; remove from heat. Stir in grated cheese until melted.

4. Blend one cup of the sauce into spinach in small bowl; spoon into a shallow 13x9x2-inch baking dish to make a layer.

5. Lift manicotti noodles one at a time from water; drain well. Fill with cottage cheese mixture, using a long-handled spoon; place in rows in a single layer over spinach mixture in dish. Spoon remaining cheese sauce over and around noodles.

6. Bake in moderate (350F) oven 1 hour or until bubbly hot.