Don T Cook The Pasta Manicotti Recipes

DON'T COOK THE PASTA MANICOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• In large skillet, brown meat with onion and garlic; pour off fat
• Stir in 2 cups tomato juice, tomato paste, oregano, sugar, salt and pepper; simmer 10 minutes while preparing filling
• In large bowl, combine 2 cups mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, spinach, eggs and grated cheese; mix well
• Stuff uncooked shells; arrange in 13 x 9-inch baking dish
• Spoon meat sauce evenly over shells; pour remaining tomato juice evenly on top
• Cover with aluminum foil; place on baking sheet
• Bake 1 hour
• Remove from oven and remove foil; immediately top with remaining mozzarella cheese
• Let stand 15 minutes before serving

MAKE-AHEAD MANICOTTI

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix together ricotta cheese and eggs until blended. Stir in spinach, mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, sugar, salt and pepper. Stuff mixture into uncooked pasta shells.
• Spread 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a medium baking dish. Arrange stuffed pasta shells in a single layer over the sauce. Pour the remainder of the sauce over the shells, cover dish, and chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours, or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Bake covered for 40 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese, and bake for another 15 minutes.

DON'T-COOK-THE-PASTA MANICOTTI

Steps:

• In large skillet, brown meat with and garlic.
• Drain well.
• Stir in 2 c tomato juice, tomato paste, sugar and seasonings.
• Simmer while preparing filling.
• In large bowl, combine 2 c mozzarell cheese, ricotta cheese, spinach, eggs and grated cheese.
• Mix well.
• Stuff dry pasta shells with cheese mixture.
• Arrange in a greased 9x13" baking dish.
• Spoon meat sauce evenly over shells.
• Pour remaining tomato juice on top.
• Cover with foil.
• Place pan on a baking sheet.
• Bake at 350 for 1 hour.
• Remove from oven.
• Remove foil and top with remaining mozzarella cheese.
• Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

NO BOIL MANICOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Combine Ricotta, 4 oz Mozzarella, Parmesan, 1 tsp sugar, egg, nutmeg, parsley, salt and pepper.
• Stuff uncooked manicotti generously with cheese mixture, from both ends. (Tip: I put mixture in a plastic bag and cut off a small corner to squeeze the mixture in the shells easily).
• Arrange manicotti in a single layer in a slightly greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish.
• Combine diced tomatoes, tomato paste, water, onion flakes, basil, rosemary, oregano, sugar, salt and pepper in a small or medium sauce pan and bring to just a boil.
• Pour sauce over manicotti covering completely.
• Cover baking dish with aluminum foil, crimping edges to seal tightly.
• Bake for 40 minutes at 400°F.
• Remove foil, sprinkle generously with remaining mozzarella.
• Bake uncovered for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

MANICOTTI

Steps:

• Spoon the ricotta into a large, fine-mesh sieve or a colander lined with a double thickness of cheesecloth or a basket-type coffee filter. Set the sieve over a bowl and cover the ricotta well with plastic wrap. Let the ricotta drain in the refrigerator at least overnight, or up to 24 hours. Discard the liquid in the bottom of the bowl.
• Make the tomato sauce and the crepes or pasta squares. (The crepes may be made up to one day in advance; the pasta squares up to several hours in advance.)
• Whisk the eggs and salt together in a large bowl until foamy. Add the drained ricotta, the mozzarella cubes, 1/2 cup of the Parmigiano-Reggiano, the parsley, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir well until blended.
• Preheat the oven to 425° F. Coat the bottom of each of two 13 × 9-inch baking pans (or any two pans into which the manicotti will fit comfortably) with 1/2 cup of the sauce. Working with one crepe or pasta square at a time, spoon 3 full tablespoons of the ricotta filling about 1 inch from the edge closest to you. Roll loosely into a cylinder, smoothing out the filling along the length of the tube as you roll.
• Arrange the manicotti, seam side down and side by side, over the sauce in the baking pans. Spoon the remaining sauce over the manicotti and sprinkle them with the remaining 1/2 cup of the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Cover the baking dishes loosely with aluminum foil and poke the foil several times with a fork.
• Bake 20 minutes. Uncover the dishes, scatter the grated mozzarella, if using, over the top of the manicotti, and bake until the edges are bubbling and the cheese topping is golden brown, about 20 minutes.