• Start by preheating the oven to 375°F. Spray the bottom of a 9x13 OR 10x15 baking dish with non-stick spray.
• Cook the manicotti shells in salted boiling water for about 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally so they don't stick to the bottom of the pot, then drain and lay them flat on parchment so they don’t stick together.
  8 oz manicotti shells
  
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and sauté the diced onion until softened, about 5 minutes.
  1 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 cup yellow onion
• Add the ground beef and season with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cook and crumble until the meat is browned and cooked through.
  1 lb. ground beef, 1 ½ tsp. Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, 1 tsp. kosher salt, ½ tsp. black pepper
• Add the garlic and cook another minute. Drain any excess grease. Set ground beef mixture aside to cool.
  3 cloves garlic
  
• In a large mixing bowl combine the ricotta, egg, nutmeg, 6 oz. of the mozzarella, and half of the parmesan.

  Add the cooled beef and onion mixture and stir well until everything is evenly combined.
  15 oz. whole milk ricotta cheese, 1 large egg, ⅛ tsp. ground nutmeg
  
• In another bowl, stir the jarred marinara and tomato sauce together. Add salt and seasoning as needed.
  24-28 oz. marinara sauce, 8 oz. tomato sauce

Assembly

• Spread one cup of sauce mixture evenly over the bottom of the prepared pan.
  
• Carefully spoon or pipe the beef and ricotta filling into each manicotti shell and arrange them in a single layer in the dish.

  TIP: Spoon half of the beef/ricotta mixture into a large zip lock bag and cut off one corner. Use this to pipe the mixture into the shells. Then repeat with the rest of the filling.

  You may need to use a small spoon or clean finger to press the filling to the center or the manicotti shell.
  
• Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the filled shells. Sprinkle on the remaining 4 oz. mozzarella and ¼ cup parmesan.
  

Baking

• Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
• Remove the foil and bake an additional 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

  Optional - finish with the broiler on for a minute or two to make golden spots on the cheese.
  
• Optional - Garnish with parsley before serving.

To Make Ahead

• To make this ahead of time, assemble the dish up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerate. Add about 10 minutes to the covered bake time if starting from cold

Storage

• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Reheat

• For best results, reheat baked manicotti in the oven so the cheese melts evenly and the filling stays creamy. Reheat in the oven at 350°F covered with foil until warmed through, usually about 25-30 minutes.

  Single servings can also be microwaved in 60-second bursts.

Freeze/Thaw

• To freeze before baking, assemble the manicotti in a disposable foil pan. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and foil, then freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking as directed.
• To freeze baked portions, store in airtight containers. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking as directed.