Southwestern Style Manicotti - Vegetarian

DbKnadler's Note:

Something I came up for our weekly "veggie night". We thought it was pretty good. A couple 15oz cans of black beans can be substituted for the dried ones to save time. This would be very good with some shredded cheddar added to the top if it as well. Prep time includes time to cook the lentils and pasta (which can be done at the same time) but not time to cook the beans, since most people will likely opt to used canned.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 10 mins
• Prep Time: 40 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• ¾ cup dried lentils
• ¾ cup dried black beans
• 1 tomato , finely diced
• ½ cup onion , finely diced
• 3 tablespoons salsa , hot
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• salt and pepper
• 1 (8 ounce) package manicotti
• 2 (14 ½ ounce) cans diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons cilantro , chopped

Directions:

1. Prepare both kinds of beans according to package directions.
2. Cook pasta to a little less than al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water til cool enough to handle.
3. Mix cooked lentils, cooked black beans, diced fresh tomato, diced onion, salsa, and cumin in a medium sized bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees farenheit.
5. Fill pasta with bean mixture and line up in a 13x9 baking dish that has been misted with olive oil.
6. Cover filled pasta with both tins of diced tomatoes and sprinkle top with chopped cilantro.
7. Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven about 30 mins or until bubbly.
8. Removed from oven and serve.