spinach manicotti in creamy tomato sauce... 65 minutes

the goods:

8 manicotti shells

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 container (15 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese

1 cup finely grated Parmesan

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1 package (10 ounces) frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

2 cups prepared marinara sauce

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

2 tablespoons heavy cream

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta shells according to package instructions. Drain well and arrange in a single layer on an oiled rimmed baking sheet. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine ricotta, 1/2 cup Parmesan, and lemon zest. Stir in spinach and season filling to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer filling to a zip-top plastic bag. Twist and squeeze bag so filling is in one corner. With scissors, snip a 3/4-inch opening in corner.

Pipe filling into both ends of each pasta shell. Arrange stuffed shells in an 8-inch square glass baking dish.

In a medium bowl, whisk togerther marinara sauce, oregano, and cream. Pour sauce evenly over stuffed shells and top with 1/2 cup Parmesan.

Bake until sauce in center of dish is bubbling and Parmesan is browned in spots, about 30 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.