| 1 box | BARILLA Manicotti |
| 5 tablespoons | extra virgin olive oil, divided |
| 3 tablespoons | butter |
| 1 each | carrot, diced fine |
| 1 medium | medium onion, diced |
| 1 each | celery stalk, diced fine |
| 1 clove | garlic, sliced |
| 1 pound | ground round beef |
| 4 tablespoons | tomato paste |
| 1 cup | milk |
| 1 cup | dry white wine |
| to taste | sea salt |
| to taste | freshly ground black pepper |
| to taste | Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese |
| 1/2 pound | prosciutto cotto, cut into 1/4-inch cubes |
| 3 each | eggs |
| 1 cup | Pecorino Romano cheese, grated, divided |
| 2 bunches | Italian parlsey, finely chopped |
| 1/4 cup | extra virgin olive oil |
| 1 each | Spanish onion, cut into ΒΌ-inch diced pieces |
| 4 cloves | garlic, thinly sliced |
| 3 tablespoons | fresh thyme, chopped |
| 1/2 medium | carrot, finely shredded |
| 2 cans | canned whole tomatoes, 28 ounces each |
| to taste | salt |
BRING a large pot of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons salt.
COOK Barilla Manicotti according to the package directions.
HEAT the olive oil and butter in a 6 to 8-quart, heavy-bottomed saucepan, over medium heat.
ADD the onions, celery and garlic; sweat over medium heat until the vegetables are translucent and soft but not browned, about 10 to 15 minutes.
STIR the ground beef into the vegetables. Cook over medium heat until fully cooked, about 10 minutes, stirring regularly.
ADD the tomato paste, milk and wine; simmer over medium-low heat for 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Season with salt and pepper to taste; remove from the heat and allow to cool.
TRANSFER cooled ragu to a large mixing bowl. Add prosciutto cotto, eggs, 1/2 cup grated cheese and chopped parsley; mix well. Season with salt and pepper.
PREHEAT oven to 400 F.
STUFF each Manicotti carefully with the ragu mixture, using a piping bag or a small spoon. Layer filled Manicotti in an oiled 8 x 10-inch baking dish, alternating with tomato sauce and grated cheese, until the dish is full.
BAKE 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown and crispy on top.
Mario's Basic Tomato Sauce:
HEAT 1/4 cup olive oil in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat.
ADD the Spanish onion and 4 cloves garlic; cook until soft and light golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes.
ADD 3 tablespoons fresh thyme and 1/2 of a medium carrot and cook until the carrot is quite soft, about 5 minutes.
ADD 2 cans (28 ounces each) of whole tomatoes tomatoes, with their juice, and bring to a boil, stirring often. Lower the heat and simmer until the sauce is as thick as hot cereal, about 30 minutes.
SEASON with salt to taste.
*This sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for 6 months.