• prep: 1 hr 10 min
• cook: 1 hr 40 min
• total: 2 hr 50 min

servings:

A regular spoon works great for stuffing the manicotti noodles, but for a slightly faster fill you could use a piping bag instead.

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
• 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 (14-ounce) can whole peeled or diced tomatoes
• 1 1/4 cups (packed) basil leaves, coarsely chopped, divided
• 8 ounces dried manicotti noodles
• Olive or vegetable oil (for greasing)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup grated Parmesan (about 3 ounces), divided
• 2/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano (about 2 ounces), divided
• 1 pound fresh ricotta
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2" pieces
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 large egg

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