• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9 X 13 baking dish
• Then in a large frying pan add 2 tbsp unsalted butter and turn to medium heat. Let it heat for 1 minute. Next add in your 2 cloves minced garlic and with spatula mix into the butter
• While the butter is heating up & the garlic is sautéing chop your 1/2 zucchini , 1/2 yellow squash and baby Bella mushrooms into small bite sized pieces. Then add the veggies into the butter garlic mixture on the stove
• Season with 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp paprika and 1/2 tsp dried basil. Sauté for 5 minutes.
• While the veggies are sautéing in a large mixing bowl add in the ricotta, egg and 1/2 cup Italian Cheese and whisk until incorporated. Then add your sautéed veggies on top and chopped raw spinach, fold both into your manicotti filling. Sprinkle with a dash more of dried basil, paprika and salt.
• After in a large bowl you will add your 28 oz marinara sauce of choice and 1 cup water. Whisk until fully mixed. Then pour half of the marinara sauce mixture at the bottom of your greased 9 X 13 dish.
• Next sprinkle half of what is left of the Italian Cheese on top of the sauce

Filling the uncooked manicotti noodles

• Next you will take each manicotti noodle and hold it vertically with your hand cupping the bottom. Then take a small spoon and start stuffing the uncooked manicotti noodle with the manicotti filling. Use the bottom handle of the spoon to push any stuffing down further if needed.
• Next you will place each uncooked noodle stuffed at the bottom of your 9 X 13 baking dish that has 1/2 of your marinara mixture and cheese sprinkled.
• Then continue stuffing your manicotti noodles one by one and filling the baking dish. The dish you see above is a smaller dish in order to be able to capture the steps more closely
• After pour the remaining marinara mixture on top of the noodles. ( the marinara mixture covering over the noodles will actually "boil" the noodles in the oven!
• Lastly sprinkle with the remaining Italian shredded cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 50 minutes. Then you will bake uncovered for 10 more minutes. Then serve with a delicious baguette or salad! Enjoy!

Freezer Instructions

• Since the manicotti noodles come in sheets of 7, sometimes I will do one sheet of the noodles ( 7 of them) in a smaller 8 X 8 dish and the other in an identical dish. That way I am splitting the marinara sauce between the two 8 X 8 dishes too. I will prepare the noodles like normal, top it with the extra marinara and cheese. Then I will cover one with aluminum foil and not bake at all and freeze. The other I will put in oven to make right away
• When you are ready to heat, pre heat oven for 350 and add on 45 minutes to 50 minutes depending on your oven to the orginal time. I will add more cheese to the top when I take the aluminum foil off.