A great one-dish meal in the tradition of the classic red-checkered-tablecloth, family-owned restaurant, this is Italian-American food at its best. I like to make individual portions ahead of time, and freeze them. When I get home really late from work, I just pop one in the microwave and have a full, comforting meal in mere minutes.

　　

Ingredients

6 main-course servings

　　1/2 pound (8 ounces) ground beef

　　1/2 cup finely chopped onion (from 1 onion)

　　1 (15-ounce) container whole-milk ricotta cheese

　　1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

　　1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

　　2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

　　2 garlic cloves, minced

　　1 1/2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste

　　1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

　　3 teaspoons olive oil

　　12 pieces of manicotti pasta (from one 8-ounce box)

　　1 1/2 cups Marinara Sauce (page 59)

　　1 tablespoon butter, cut into pieces

　　

Step 1

Heat a medium-size, heavy skillet over a medium flame. Add the ground beef and onion and sauté until the meat browns and the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, and let cool slightly.

　　

Step 2

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix the ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, the parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir in the meat mixture and set aside.

　　

Step 3

Brush 1 teaspoon of the olive oil over a large baking sheet. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Working in batches, add the manicotti and cook until softened but still firm to the bite, about 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the manicotti from the pot to the prepared baking sheet and let cool.

　　

Step 4

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil over a 13 X 9 X 2-inch glass baking dish. Spoon 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish. Fill the manicotti with the cheese–meat mixture, and arrange the stuffed pasta in a single layer in the prepared dish. Spoon the remaining cup of sauce over the manicotti. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and then the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese over the manicotti. Dot the top with the butter pieces. (The manicotti can be prepared up to this point 8 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

　　

Step 5

Bake the manicotti uncovered until it is heated through and the sauce bubbles on the bottom of the dish, about 35 minutes. Let the manicotti stand for 5 minutes and serve.

　　Reprinted with permission from Everyday Italian: 125 Simple and Delicious Recipes by Martha Stewart Living Magazine. Copyright © 2005 by Giada De Laurentiis. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Giada De Laurentiis is the star of Food Network's Everyday Italian and Behind the Bash. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and then worked in a variety of Los Angeles restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck's Spago, before starting her own catering and private-chef company, GDL Foods. The granddaughter of movie producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada was born in Rome and grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives.