Baked Manicotti

1. For the tomato sauce: Pulse 1 can of the tomatoes with their juice in a food processor until coarsely chopped, about four 1-second pulses. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining can of tomatoes.

2. Heat the oil, garlic, and pepper flakes in a large saucepan over medium heat - until fragrant but not brown, about 1 1/2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and 1/2 tsp. of salt and simmer until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the basil and season with salt to taste.

3. For the cheese filling: Combine the ricotta, 1 cup of Parmesan, mozzarella, eggs, salt, pepper, parsley, and basil in a medium bowl; set aside.

4. To assemble: Adjust 2 oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat to 375°. Pour 1 inch of boiling water into a 13 x 9-inch broiler-safe baking dish, then add noodles 1 at a time. Soak the noodles until pliable, about 5 minutes, separating the noodles with the tip of a sharp knife to prevent from sticking. Remove the noodles from the water and place in a single layer on clean kitchen towels; discard the water from the baking dish and wipe dry.

5. Spread the bottom of the baking dish evenly with 1 1/2 cups of sauce. Spread 1/4 cup of the cheese filling evenly onto the bottom three-quarters of each noodle (with the short side facing you), leaving the top quarter of noodle exposed. Roll into a tube shape and arrange in the baking dish seam side down. Top evenly with the remaining sauce, making certain that the pasta is completely covered. Cover the manicotti with foil and bake on the lower-middle rack until bubbling, about 40 minutes.

6. Remove the baking dish from the oven and discard the foil. Turn the oven to broil. Sprinkle the manicotti evenly with the remaining 1 cup of Parmesan. Broil on the upper-middle rack until the cheese is spotty brown, 4-6 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.