Roman-Style Meat Manicotti

Begin by heating a generous amount of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Next, sauté the onions until they lose their rawness and turn translucent. Following that, cook the garlic for 1 minute and then stir in ground beef. Continue to cook until the mixture is well browned and crumbled, then season with salt before setting it aside to cool.

Meanwhile, prepare the spinach according to its package instructions. At the same time, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil and add the manicotti shells. Parboil them for half of the recommended time on the package, then drain and cover with cool water to halt the cooking process and prevent the shells from cracking.

To the ground beef mixture, add the cooked spinach and ricotta cheese. Once the mixture has cooled, introduce the beaten eggs into it. Next, spread 1/4 cup of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Gently drain the manicotti shells and carefully fill each one with the meat and cheese mixture; place them in the prepared dish. Lightly cover the dish with plastic wrap or a clean, damp towel to prevent the shells from cracking.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Prepare the white sauce by melting butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and chicken bouillon, then increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring constantly, until it begins to bubble. Stir in half and half and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in parsley. Pour or ladle the sauce evenly over the stuffed shells.

Stir the basil into the remaining spaghetti sauce. Carefully pour or ladle the sauce over the white sauce, trying to layer it without mixing.

Cover and bake for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, uncover, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes more.