Six Million Dollar Man-icotti

So manicotti, not exactly my favorite Italian food. I am a less than avid fan of the cheese and pasta in a pool of red sauce. However, I did make it for the first time last summer (see Cooking with Alice "Own Room Manicotti") and I have to admit it wasn't half bad. Speaking of half, and parts left over, that blog left me with lots of half used packages and bottles in my pantry. For instance, four manicotti shells, a third of a box of lasagna noodles (which I will never use, because I always make my own), half of a bag of lentils, and three-quarters of a bottle of Cream Sherry. Someday, I'll concoct a recipe to use them all, for sure. Meanwhile, ricotta and mozzarella cheeses stuffed in cooked manicotti shells (which is harder than it sounds, the stuffing, not the cooking, btw). Layered with tomato sauce (you could use Nonie's Sauce, Pomodoro Sauce, or a tomato basil as I did). Really, parts are parts and you can't ruin this one - use what you have on hand.

In the immortal words of Oscar Goldman: Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability to build the world's first bionic man. Steve Austin will be that man. Better than he was before. Better, stronger, faster. The Six Million Dollar Man was the cornerstone of what I consider the golden age of television – the 1970s. Astronaut Steve Austin suffers a life-ending crash, but secret big government intervenes and keeps him alive with electronic parts (American made parts, I might add). Steve Austin (aka Lee Majors) gives an arm and both legs and an eye for an eye to become the first cyborg government agent for the OSI. You can just see him running around (in slow motion) in his red Adidas track suit with the sound effects that moved a generation. The show aired on ABC from 1974-78 (when the network always won the Battle of the Network Stars competition, I might add – coincidence, I think not) and spawned the spin-off Bionic Woman – but that is for another day and another post. I loved him then and I love him now, although I have to admit that six million dollars seems kind of cheap by today's standards. Adjusted for inflation, Steve Austin would be about a 30 million dollar man today. Now that's my kind of guy.

The Recipe:

2 tblsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 1/3 c tomatoes, crushed
1tsp chopped basil
3/4 tsp salt
Manicotti shells
15 ounces ricotta cheese ( I use fat free, and you should too)
1/2 c shredded mozzarella
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese

In a saucepan heat the oil and saute the garlic. Add the tomatoes and salt. Bring to boil, reduced heat and simmer for one hour.
Meanwhile, cook the manicotti according to package directions. Drain well.
In a large bowl, mix cheeses. Stuff the shells. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Stir basil into the sauce and remove from heat. Layer sauce, then shells, then sauce again in a baking dish.
Bake for 45 minutes.