Academic Manicotti

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Boil some salted water and cook the noodles according to package instructions. When done drain them then lay them out on a plate until ready to be used.

Heat the pasta sauce in a saucepan over medium heat then stir in the can of diced tomatoes. Remove from heat once heated through.

In a skillet over medium heat, brown the meat with the minced garlic, onion powder, and Italian seasoning. Once meat is browned remove skillet from heat and drain the grease.

Pour the meat into a mixing bowl and allow it to cool just a bit. Then add the grated Parmesan, cottage/ricotta cheese, parsley, basil, spinach and the egg. Mix together well.

Spray a baking dish with nonstick spray (I used a 7 x 11 inch when I made 12, so if you are making 24, use a 9 x 13 inch, and that should work well). Pour half of the pasta sauce into the pan. Now, take a noodle and either stuff it with the meat/cheese filling, or put some filling in the center of the noodle and roll it up. Place it in the pan, repeat. When all of the noodles and filling have been used cover with the rest of the sauce and top with shredded Italian blend cheese.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until bubbling and warm all the way through.