Cook manicotti in 6 quarts boiling water for about 6 minutes. DO NOT OVER COOK. Drain hot water off and add cold to stop cooking immediately and so it can be handled for filling. Remove shells from water one by one for filling. Use a flat baking dish of proper size so it can be completely filled with the manicotti one layer deep. Pour enough sauce over bottom to cover before adding the manicotti.

MEAT FILLING:

1 lg. jar spaghetti sauce
1 1/2 lbs. chopped meat (all beef or 1/2 beef, 1/2 pork)
1 egg
1/2 lb. diced Mozzarella cheese
1 tbsp. chopped parsley
1 tbsp. Fines Herbes (can use basil, oregano, etc., instead)
1/4 c. finely chopped onion
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Cook meat until browned and broken up into fine pieces, then mix thoroughly with egg, cheese (except Parmesan), parsley, herbs, onion, salt, pepper. Stuff manicotti, arrange in baking dish and cover with remaining sauce.

Cover dish tightly with foil, crimping edges to get a good seal, then bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and cook uncovered for 10 minutes more.

NOTE: If shells are overcooked, they have a tendency to split when being filled.

CHEESE FILLING:

1 lg. jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 lb. Mozzarella cheese, diced
2 eggs
3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese (save 1/4 c. for sprinkling over top after baking)
1 tbsp. parsley
Salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste
2 lbs. ricotta cheese

Mix all ingredients together except spaghetti sauce and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, stuff manicotti and arrange in baking dish one layer deep after covering the bottom of the dish with spaghetti sauce. Cover with remaining sauce. Cook as directed above with meat filling.