TOMATO SAUCE:

1/2 c. olive or salad oil
2 c. finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 (1 lb.) cans tomato puree
2 (2 lb. 3 oz.) cans Italian plum tomatoes, undrained
1/4 c. chopped parsley
2 tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tbsp. salt
3 tsp. dried oregano leaves
2 tsp. dried basil leaves
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. fennel seed

FILLING:

1/2 c. olive or salad oil
2 c. chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 1/2 lbs. ground chuck
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 tbsp. salt
2 tsp. dried oregano leaves
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
1/2 tsp. pepper
3 (10 oz.) pkgs. frozen, chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and finely chopped
1 (8 oz.) pkg. Mozzarella cheese
2 (8 oz., 16 shells each) pkgs. manicotti
2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
2 (8 oz.) pkgs. Mozzarella cheese
Parsley

Make tomato sauce: In 1/2 cup hot oil in 5 quart Dutch oven or kettle, saute 2 cups onion and 2 cloves garlic until tender, 5 minutes. Add remaining sauce ingredients (mash tomatoes with a fork) and 2 cups water; bring to boil. Lower heat; simmer, covered, and stirring occasionally, 1 hour.

Meanwhile, make filling: In 1/3 cup hot oil in large skillet, saute onion and garlic until tender, about 5 minutes. Turn into large bowl. In same skillet, brown chuck, stirring (break up beef with wooden spoon) until well browned, about 20 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon to onion mixture; add eggs, salt, herbs, pepper, chopped spinach, and 3 cups sauce; mix well.

Coarsely grate 1 package Mozzarella; stir into meat mixture. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In about 6 quarts rapidly boiling, salted water, carefully place manicotti, a few at a time; stir gently. Boil 2 minutes just to soften; drain. With small spoon, fill the manicotti with meat mixture; set aside.

Spoon a third of sauce into bottom of round cake pan, 16 1/2 inches in diameter, 2 inches deep; arrange, spoke fashion, half of the filled shells on top of the sauce (see Note). Cover with a third of sauce; sprinkle with half of Parmesan cheese. Place remaining manicotti on top, spoke fashion. Top with rest of sauce. Arrange slices of Mozzarella on top of each manicotti; sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.

Cover tightly with foil; bake 60 minutes. Remove foil; bake, uncovered, 15 minutes or until bubbly. If desired, sprinkle with Parmesan and chopped parsley before serving. Serves 25.

Note: Two 9 x 13 x 2 inch baking pans may be used; divide sauce and filled manicotti shells between the two pans. Bake, covered, 40 minutes; uncovered, 10 minutes. Sauce and filling can be made day ahead and refrigerated. Assemble before baking.