Lentil & Ricotta Manicotti in Marinara

Directions

1. Place a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add olive oil. When hot, stir in onions and sauté for 5 minutes until soft. Stir in garlic and let cook for another minute. Stir in crushed tomatoes, salt, sugar, and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and let sauce cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in basil and adjust the seasonings with more salt and pepper, if needed.
2. In a large bowl, stir together spinach, lentils, ricotta, 1 cup (250 mL) of mozzarella, 1/ 4 cup (60 mL) of Parmesan, eggs, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
3. Preheat oven to 350˚F (180˚C). Spread about 1 1/ 2 cups (375 mL) of marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch (22x30 cm) baking dish.
4. Using your hands, stuff the filling inside the manicotti noodles, laying them down in the sauce once they are filled. If any extra filling remains, scatter it on top of the noodles.
5. Pour the remaining marinara sauce over the noodles and top with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 50 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes until the noodles are tender and cheese is slightly browned. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.