Pesto Manicotti (No Tomatoes)

Cookgirl's Note:

I discovered this recipe recently in our local newspaper. I have nothing against tomatoes (love them actually) however I wanted to point out their absence from this recipe. PS> I added about one quarter cup of myzithra to the manicotti.

• Total Time: 45 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 8 ounces manicotti
• 10 ounces chopped baby spinach
• 2 eggs , beaten
• 2 cups ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese)
• 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese (read Intro^)
• 1 cup Greek yogurt (or plain yogurt-drained)
• 2 garlic cloves , minced
• ½ teaspoon Greek oregano
• 14 ounces pesto sauce (homemade is best)
• ½ cup parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with a small amount of olive oil.
2. Bring a large stockpot of salted water to a boil. Add the manicotti and cook al dente. Drain and arrange them on a tea towel so they don’t touch. Set aside until cool enough to handle.
3. Meanwhile, remove the excess water from the spinach by placing the leaves in a salad spinner. Continue spinning until no more water runs out.
4. Coarsely chop the spinach.
5. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, eggs, ricotta, mozzarella, Greek yogurt, garlic and oregano. Transfer the cheese mixture to a Zip-Lock-type plastic bag, squeeze out the air and seal. Set aside.
6. Spread half of the pesto in an even layer over the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
7. Snip off one corner of the bag of cheese mixture. Holding a manicotti tube in one hand and the bag in the other, insert the tip of the bag into the pasta tube and squeeze gently to fill it. Tip: to make filling easier, fill from both ends.
8. Arrange each filled tube in a single layer in the prepared baking dish.
9. When all the tubes are filled, spoon the remaining pesto over them. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes.
10. Uncover the pan and sprinkle the manicotti with Parmesan. Bake, uncovered, for another 15 minutes, or until the Parmesan is melted and lightly browned.