Spinach and Ricotta Manicotti (Ang)

Ingredients:
-3Tbs. butter
-olive oil
-2 cloves of garlic peeled and finely chopped
-A large handful of fresh oregano chopped
-¾ tsp of nutmeg
-4 C of spinach
-A handful of fresh basil. Stalks chopped, leaves ripped
-2 (14oz) cans of plum tomatoes chopped
-sea salt, black pepper seasoned to taste, pinch of sugar
-1 ¾ C of ricotta cheese
-2 handfuls of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
-16 Manicotti tubes
-1 C of mozzarella, broken
-Optional-white sauce-Crème Fraiche

Directions:
Preheat oven 350̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊
-Boil manicotti, drain, and place individually on wax paper, let cool

-Take a saucepan on high heat and melt butter, olive oil, one garlic clove, oregano and nutmeg. Garlic becomes soft then add as much spinach as you can to the pan. Keep turning it over, it will wilt quickly so you will be able to keep adding more spinach until it’s all in. Moisture will cook out of the spinach. Cook 5 minutes on high heat constantly stirring. Remove from pan and place in bowl to cool.

-Use the same pan on the high heat again and add a little olive oil, the other clove of garlic, basil stalks and the tomatoes, then fill one of the empty tomato cans with water—add in. Bring to boil, then add pinch of salt, pepper, sugar and simmer 10 minutes. Take off heat and add basil leaves.

-Now your spinach has cooled down. Squeeze excess liquid out of spinach back into the bowl and finely chopped spinach. Put spinach back into the bowl with excess liquid add ricotta, and a handful of Parmesan cheese-stir. Fill manicottis by using a spoon or Ziploc bag with the tip cut off. Fill manicottis tight with mixture.

-Place ¾ of the tomato sauce on the bottom of the pan. Lay in manicottis on top tomatoes. Add remaining tomato sauce to the top of with Parmesan cheese and mozzarella.
(optional-you can top off with Crème Fraiche—very rich and caloric)
-Bake in oven 25-30 minutes until golden and bubbling.