Tofurky Sausage Stuffed Manicotte

Have you ever tried Tofuky brand Italian sausage? If not, now is your chance to buy it, cook with it and enjoy it's flavor. You can find Tofurky sausage with the other veggie deli style products, usually in the refrigerated section with the tofu and temphe.

This dish was pretty easy, other than the stuffing of the shells, and really tasty! Definitely a keeper. I liked using jarred pasta sauce, which surprised me, because usually this kind of recipe calls to make your own. The jarred sauce worked out just fine. I did modify the recipe a little bit by adding ricotta cheese, oh, and of course using fake sausage. Took a prep picture, but forgot to take one of the final dish!

Tofurky Sausage Stuffed Manicotte (modified from Cooking Light 2009)

10 uncooked manicotti (I cooked more knowing some would split and tear)

1 package Tofurky Italian sausage, chopped

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 bell pepper, chopped

2 TBS butter

2 TBS all-purpose flour

2 cups low-fat milk

1/8 tsp black pepper

1 1/2 cups shredded Italian cheese

2 cups (1 jar) of tomato-basil sauce (Newman's Own worked great)

1/2 cups Parmesan cheese, grated

1. Cook pasta according to package.

2. Heat a large skillet over med-high heat. Add small amount of olive oil and saute onion for a couple minutes. Add veggie sausage and bell pepper. Cook until sausage begins to brown.

3. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour, cooking a minute, stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove from heat and slowly add milk, stirring with whisk. Return to heat and bring to a boil over med-high heat, always stirring. Cook about 5 more minutes until thickened. Add black pepper. Remove from heat.

4. Preheat oven to 350.

5. Add about 1/2 cup milk mixture and 1 cup ricotta cheese to the sausage mixture. Stir well.

6. Spoon sausage mixture into the manicotti shells. Arrange shells in a single layer in a 13 X 9 inch baking dish coated with oil or cooking spray.

7. Pour pasta sauce over manicotti and sprinkle with cheeses.

8. Cook 35 minutes until browned and bubbly. Yummy!!!