Three-Cheese Manicotti

Preheat a large cooking vessel over high heat. Introduce beef, onion, and roasted garlic; stir constantly until the beef is nicely browned and has a crumbly texture, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Continue cooking until the pan juices evaporate and the mixture thickens, roughly another 10 minutes.

Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, a bay leaf, oregano, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and garlic salt; bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Lower the heat to a low simmer; allow the flavors to meld together, approximately 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to a moderate temperature of 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Fill a large container with salted water and bring it to a boil. Add manicotti and return the mixture to a rolling boil. Cook the manicotti, uncovered, occasionally stirring until it reaches the desired level of tenderness yet still retains a slight firmness to the bite, roughly 8 minutes.

Drain and slightly cool the cooked manicotti. Combine cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, an egg, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper in a bowl. Spoon a generous amount of the cheese filling into each manicotti shell.

Pour enough sauce to cover the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Arrange the stuffed manicotti over the sauce; pour remaining sauce over the shells. Cover with aluminum foil.

Bake in the preheated oven until bubbly, approximately 30 minutes. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese over the manicotti and return to the oven. Bake until the cheese filling is melted, 10 to 15 minutes more.