Fresh Manicotti Shells Recipes

HOMEMADE MANICOTTI

Steps:

• Place flour in a bowl; whisk in milk, eggs and salt until smooth. Heat a lightly greased 8-in. skillet; pour about 2 tablespoons batter into center of skillet. Spread into a 5-in. circle. Cook over medium heat until set; do not brown or turn. Repeat with remaining batter, making 18 crepes. Stack crepes with waxed paper in between; set aside. , For filling, combine cheeses, egg and parsley. Spoon 3-4 tablespoons down the center of each crepe; roll up. Pour half of the spaghetti sauce into an ungreased 13x9-in. baking dish. Place crepes, seam side down, over sauce; pour remaining sauce over top. , Cover and bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 20 minutes longer or until heated through. Sprinkle with Romano cheese if desired.

FRESH-MADE MANICOTTI OR CANNELLONI CREPES SHELLS

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, blending and stirring until you have a smooth batter.
• Place a small 13 cm (or 6 inch) dry non-stick skillet over moderate heat.
• Ladle out 1/4 cup batter into the heated pan, and swirl to cover the bottom.
• The crepe should set almost instantly.
• As soon as the edges begin to dry and pull away from the pan, remove the crepe (this can be done with the fingers) and turn it over allowing the other side to cook quickly.
• This should only take seconds.
• See description above for filling your crepe.

FRESH MANICOTTI SHELLS

Steps:

• Stir milk gradually with flour, until smooth.
• Add, stirring constantly, the beaten egg, to which the salt has been added.
• For each shell/crepe, brush a six inch teflon coated fry pan with oil or butter.
• Pour 1/4 cup of the batter in the bottom of pan, tilting back and forth so it spreads evenly.
• Cook slowly until just set, do not brown.
• When set on one side, turn over and let other side set.
• Slide off pan and onto plate to cool slightly.
• Repeat until all of the batter is used.
• Place 2 TBS of your cheese filling into the center of the crepe/shell, bringing sides over so they overlap to hold filling inches.
• Arrange side by side in baking pan with your favorite sauce, topped with shredded cheese.
• Bake at 400* for about 20 minutes.

HOMEMADE CREPE-STYLE MANICOTTI

Steps:

• For the sauce: Combine the canned tomatoes in a large bowl, reserving the cans. Crush the tomatoes with your hands. Put the olive oil and garlic in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the garlic is translucent and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until warm, about 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes. Fill each reserved can halfway with water, swish to collect any remaining tomato juice and add to the pan. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 35 minutes. Stir in the whole basil sprigs, season with salt and black pepper and remove from the heat. You should have about 6 cups of sauce.
• For the crepes: Puree the eggs, flour, milk, water and 1 teaspoon salt in a blender until smooth. Let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Heat an 8-inch stainless steel skillet over medium-low heat (see Cook's Note). Pour 1/4 cup of the batter off center into the pan with a ladle or measuring cup, then swirl to coat the bottom. Cook until the crepe looks dry and pulls away from the sides of the pan, 1 to 2 minutes per side. The crepes should not take on any color. (It usually takes one or two tries to get it right so adjust the heat as needed.) Transfer the crepe to a plate. Continue cooking the crepes with the remaining batter, stacking them on the plate when they are done. You should have about 16 good crepes. At this point the crepes can be wrapped tightly and stored on the plate in the refrigerator up to 1 day.
• For the filling: Combine the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmigiano, Pecorino, parsley, nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper.
• To assemble, preheat the oven to 375F. Cover the bottom of each of two 9-by-13-inch baking dishes with 1 1/2 cups sauce (it is fine to also add the basil sprigs to the bottom of the dish if you like). Divide the filling among the crepes (about 1/4 cup each) and spread it in a line down the center of each crepe. Roll the crepes into cylinders (leaving the ends open) and fit them snugly in the baking dishes, seam-side down. Spoon 1 cup of the sauce in a line down the center of each baking dish (it will only partially cover the crepes). The manicotti can be assembled up to this point, covered tightly and refrigerated overnight; remove the covering before baking.
• Cover the baking dishes with lids or aluminum foil and bake until the filling is heated through and the sauce is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the cover, sprinkle with some Parmigiano and continue to bake until the cheese is melted and the edges are light brown, 5 to 10 minutes more. Heat the remaining sauce in a small saucepan or the microwave and serve alongside the manicotti.

MANICOTTI SHELLS

Steps:

• Mix together: flour, water, eggs and salt to make a thin, smooth batter. Pour about 1/4 cup batter onto lightly greased griddle. Cook until top forms film.

MANICOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• If using fresh spinach, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat, and season generously with salt. Fill a medium bowl with ice water and season with salt. Boil the spinach until tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, (keep the water in the pot boiling), and immediately plunge the spinach into the ice water. Drain and squeeze the excess water from the spinach, and finely chop. Alternatively, if using thawed spinach, simply squeeze, and finely chop. Set aside.
• In the same large pot of boiling water, cook the manicotti shells according to the package directions until al dente. Drain and pat dry.
• Spread 1 cup of the marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Lightly beat the eggs in a medium bowl. Add the spinach, ricotta, mozzarella, and 1/3 cup of the grated cheese and mix until evenly combined. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt, the nutmeg and pepper. Spoon the cheese mixture into the manicotti shells and line them up in the baking dish. Cover with the remaining 2 cups sauce. Scatter the remaining 2/3 cup grated cheese on top and dot with the butter.
• Bake for 30 minutes. Serve immediately.
• Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the herb sprigs and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes.
• Remove and discard the herb sprigs. Stir in 2 teaspoons salt and season with pepper to taste. Use right away, or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.
• Yield: 3 1/2 cups
• Copyright 2001 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved.

SPINACH AND CHEESE MANICOTTI RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Cook manicotti al dente. Then, rinse pasta with cool water and drain well.
• Stir together all the spinach blend ingredients in a separate bowl and set aside.
• In the bottom of an ungreased 13x9 (3 qt) glass baking dish, spread 1 ½ cups (390 G) pasta sauce along the bottom.
• Spoon spinach mixture into a piping or a gallon-size Ziploc bag. Snip 1 inch (2.5 cm) off the corner - you want it big enough to fill the manicotti and be able to let all the ingredients pass through without clogging the piping hole.
• Hold a manicotti shell in your hand and squeeze the filling inside the shell. Let it overflow just a bit on both sides.
• Place the filled shells into the bottom of the pan: if you run out of room in your pan, use a separate smaller pan to accommodate the extra.
• Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake for about 30 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling.
• Uncover dish and top with more sauce. Then, sprinkle remaining ½ cup Italian cheese blend on top of the sauce.
• Bake uncovered for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
• Sprinkle with thyme and add some fresh chives (optional) upon serving. Serve hot.
• Enjoy!

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.