Baked Manicotti

We are big fans of Cook's Illustrated/America's Test Kitchen in this house and when we're on the hunt for a REALLY good recipe, how to make something for the first time [complicated or simple] or that perfect blend of ingredients to make the best __________...we go there first.

So we were hankering for some good Italian food - like the kind of Italian we used to get back home in NJ that doesn't really exist here in New England [except maybe in the North End] - and I've never made manicotti before!  This is what we found and oh my was it good!

Here's the thing with these recipes, they have been tried and tested, if you've never made manicotti before, follow it!  Stick with whole milk ricotta cheese and fresh basil! Please?!

We really enjoyed this super meaty, flavorful dish! We have oven safe bowls and for leftovers I made sure to heat up the servings slowly in our toaster oven.  Garnish with a little more, freshly grated parmesan cheese and you are all set! Enjoy!