Beef and Cheese Manicotti

I made these a few months ago and totally forgot about them until I asked Bryan what he wanted for dinners this week and he said he wanted that manicotti I had made a while ago. Now if Bryan remembers something I made a while ago it must be good! And this recipe is nice because, unlike some recipes, you can substitute things for what ingredients you have on hand!

4 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 pound ground beef
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
14 (8-ounce package) manicotti (in the pasta aisle)
1 (15-ounce) container whole-milk ricotta
3 cups shredded mozzarella (I used the shredded cheddar I had and it was great too)
1 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves (I didn't use this)
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups marinara sauce (I used spaghetti sauce)
2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

Heat a heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the olive oil, onion and ground beef. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until the meat browns and the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, and cool.
Brush 1 teaspoon of oil over a large baking sheet. Cook the manicotti in a large pot of boiling salted water until slightly softened, but still very firm to the bite, about 4 to 6 minutes. (The manicotti will cook more in the oven.) Using a slotted spoon, transfer the manicotti from the pot to the oiled baking sheet and cool. (It's oiled so that the pasta doesn't stick to the sheet while cooling.)

Meanwhile, combine the ricotta, 1 1/2 to 2 cups mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan, and parsley. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper to taste, and mix. Stir the cooled meat mixture into the cheese mixture.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Brush the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil over a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Spoon 1 1/2 cups of the marinara sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish. Fill the manicotti with the cheese-meat mixture. (I found it best to use my hands to stuff the manicotti shells - the spoon tore some of the shells.) Arrange the stuffed pasta in a single layer in the prepared dish and spoon the remaining sauce over.

Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese, then the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan over the stuffed pasta. Dot entire dish with the butter pieces. Bake the manicotti uncovered until heated through and the sauce bubbles on the sides of the dish, about 30 to 35 minutes. Let the manicotti stand 5 minutes and serve.