Manicotti with Ricotta and Peas:

      A few weeks ago I made dinner for a few of my closest friends on New Year's Eve. I wanted to serve something delicious, easy to make, and a meal that could be served in the same dish it was cooked in would be ideal! That's when I decided to make my manicotti with ricotta and peas! This particular recipe can also be crafted using this post to make fresh ricotta cheese or try this recipe for marinara sauce from scratch. For a holiday dinner serving a handful of people, I opted for jarred sauce and pre made ricotta cheese to cut a few corners while hosting. Manicotti noodles served as a vessel for a mixture of melted cheese, delicate green peas, and a burst of lemon zest! The noodles are then coated heavily in tomato sauce, shredded parmesan and baked until lightly crisp and bubbly! I'm happy to show you how:

Magic ingredients:

-Manicotti noddles

-Marinara sauce

-Frozen peas

-Salt and Pepper to taste

-Shredded mozzerella cheese

-Fresh lemon zest

-Ricotta cheese

Let's Get Started:

1: In a bowl mix together ricotta cheese, salt, pepper, lemon zest, and frozen peas. Using that cheese and vegetable medley, fill the manicotti noodles. 

2: In a casserole dish greased with cooking spray, spread 1/2 of your marinara sauce:

3: Line the casserole dish in an even layer with the manicotti shells filled with ricotta and peas. 

4: Cover the pasta with the remaining marinara sauce. Scatter the shredded mozzerella and frozen peas over the entire dish. 

5: Bake in an oven preheated to 375 degrees until the cheese is completely melted and a light crust begins to form, then serve!

      New Years ended up being really beautiful in downtown Santa Cruz at the clock tower. There were bubbles everywhere not just in our Champagne glasses that night!

Yours,

Nico

PS, I would love it if you could "like" my facebook page! www.Facebook.com/SatinAndSalt