Today I have yet another recipe for leftover spaghetti sauce. This one is called Pizzacotti. Basically a combination of pizza ingredients and manicotti shells, this is one of those recipes that if you don’t have leftover spaghetti sauce, it would be well worth making some.
One of the best parts of this particular recipe is that you can make a lot of it at one time and freeze it for later use. So if you’re going to go to the trouble of making this, you definitely want to make extra, especially if you get some of these ingredients on sale.
The first step to this very easy recipe is to cook your manicotti according to the package directions. You don’t want to cook them so they are super soft. Make sure you cook them to al dente.
Then preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spread 1 1/2 to 2 cups of sauce in a 13 x 9 pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
Next you lay out one piece of ham. Down the center of the ham lay 3 pieces of pepperoni and top that with a piece of string cheese.
Roll the ham around the cheese and pepperoni as tightly as possible.
Slide the ham roll into the cooked manicotti shell.
Place prepared pizzacotti in the prepared pan.
Spoon remaining sauce over the top.
Top sauce with slices of provolone cheese.
Sprinkle with Parmesan and mozzarella cheese, olives and crumble the bacon on top. (Note I did not put bacon on mine when I took these pictures. I have since added bacon when I make this and love it!)
Bake 25-30 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes before serving,
This was an immediate hit with the family. What I like about it is I can use this recipe as a “course” for an Italian dinner. First serve soup, then salad, then pasta (in this case the pizzacotti), and then the main course. I enjoy having many courses when having a dinner party and serving a huge variety of dishes. Being that this one is so easy and can be made well ahead of time, this will definitely be one of my go-to Italian-fare options, and for this I am – Simply Grateful.
Pizzacotti
Ingredients
- 10 Uncooked Manicotti Shells
- 3 to 4 Cups Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
- 10 slices Deli Ham
- 30 slices Pepperoni
- 10 pieces String Cheese
- 1 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
- 1 cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
- 8 slices Provolone Cheese
- Sliced Olives
- 5 -10 pieces Crispy Bacon, crumbled
Directions
- Cook manicotti according to the package directions to al dente texture.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spread 1 1/2 to 2 cups of sauce in a 13 x 9 pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
- Place one piece of ham on work surface. Lay 3 slices pepperoni down center of ham and place one piece of string cheese on top of that.
- Roll the ham around the cheese and pepperoni as tightly as possible.
- Slide the ham roll into the cooked manicotti shell and place it in the prepared pan.
- Pour the remaining sauce over the manicotti.
- Place the provolone slices on top of the spaghetti sauce.
- Sprinkle with Parmesan and mozzarella cheese, olives and crumble bacon on top.
- Bake uncovered 25-30 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let sit 5 minutes before serving.
Cooking Note
This dish can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from fridge 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake in 375 oven for 25-30 minutes.
Also, individual pizzacotti can be frozen on a cookie sheets, wrapped and frozen. Then depending on how many you want to make, just defrost, and layer according to directions above.
You can also add other pizza toppings to this dish. Options include, but are not limited to: Hot peppers, Italian sausage (fully cooked), or diced onion or green pepper. The possibilities are endless.
Recipe by: Tilly Frueh, Simply Grateful Cooking at https://simplygratefulcooking.wordpress.com/ – 2017
Simply Grateful Cooking 