Vegetable Filled Manicotti 12 to 16 uncooked manicotti shells
1 26-oz. jar spaghetti sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
One quarter cup Parmesan cheese, grated 1 15-oz. container ricotta cheese
One half cup carrot, shredded
1 10-oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 egg
Pepper to taste
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Cook manicotti shells al dente. Pour half of the spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish and spread out evenly. Combine garlic, Parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese, carrot, spinach, egg and pepper in a bowl and mix well. Gently stuff each shell with cheese/vegetable mixture. Place filled manicotti shells on top of spaghetti sauce. Pour remaining half of spaghetti sauce over manicotti and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 for about 20 - 25 minutes.
The Skinny: You can substitute low fat cottage cheese for the ricotta and low fat mozzarella to cut down on some fat and calories.