Start by heating oil in a pot for the marinara. Add the garlic and allow to toast, until they’re golden and fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another minute. Pour in the tomatoes and gently crush them up. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the sugar and seasonings. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer, stirring now and then, for about 30 minutes until it thickens and reduces to about 3 cups. Once it’s done, discard the garlic.

Heat up a medium skillet over medium heat. Add about 1 teaspoon of oil, toss in the onion and ground beef, then season with salt and pepper. Sauté everything until the meat is browned and the onions are soft and translucent—this should take around 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set it aside to cool.

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Next, prepare your baking dish by brushing it with 1 teaspoon of oil. Cook the manicotti in a large pot of salted boiling water, just until they start to soften but still have a firm bite, around 4 to 6 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pasta to the oiled baking sheet so it can cool down.

In the meantime, mix the cottage cheese, 1 1/2 to 2 cups of mozzarella, 1/2 cup of Parmesan, and some dried parsley in a bowl. Add garlic, salt, and pepper to taste. Once the meat mixture has cooled, stir that into the cheesy mixture too.

Spread 1 cup of marinara sauce on the bottom of the dish. Then, fill each manicotti shell with the cheese-meat mixture (Cut in half and stuff, then place seam side down... or use a piping bag… or even a plastic baggie with a large section of the corner snipped off makes things a lot easier.) Place them in a single layer in the dish. Pour the remaining meat-cheese mixture, then the marinara over the top.

Finish it off by sprinkling the remaining mozzarella (about 1 1/2 cups) and 1/2 cup of Parmesan over the pasta. Dot the top with little pieces of butter. Bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes, until everything is heated through and the sauce is bubbling around the edges.

Once it’s done, let it sit for 5 minutes, then dig in and serve!