A great back-to-school recipe, this manicotti can be prepared in advance and kept frozen until you are ready to bake them.
| 1⁄2 | c | carrots (shredded) |
| 1⁄2 | c | zucchini (shredded) |
| 1 | c | spinach (chopped) |
| 4 | c | Stonyfield Organic Low Fat Plain Yogurt (to yield 2 cups yogurt cheese*) |
| 1 | tbsp | Italian parsley (chopped) |
| 1 | tsp | oregano |
| 1 | tsp | basil |
| 1⁄2 | tsp | salt |
| 1⁄2 | tsp | pepper |
| 3 | eggs | |
| 1 | c | mozzarella cheese (shredded) |
| 12 | manicotti shells (cooked) | |
| 32 | oz | tomato sauce |
*For Yogurt Cheese: Using a yogurt cheese maker or layered cheese cloth, strain the whey from 4 cups of yogurt for 3-6 hours in the refrigerator. This should yield 2 cups of yogurt cheese.
Bring 6 cups of water to a boil, and cook manicotti noodles until still slightly firm, being careful not to overcook. Drain noodles, rinse with cold water.
Preheat oven to 350°. In a 9x13 baking dish, coat the bottom of the dish with 4 tablespoons of tomato sauce. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, fold vegetables, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, herbs, salt, pepper and eggs into yogurt cheese. Using a spoon, gently fill the manicotti shells with the cheese and vegetable mixture and then place in the baking dish. Once all shells have been filled, top manicotti with remaining tomato sauce. Bake for 25 minutes. Top with remaining shredded cheese and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until cheese is golden brown. Serve warm.