Manicotti Recipe 465

MANICOTTI (THREE CHEESE, NO-BOIL PASTA RECIPE)

Steps:

• Place the steamed escarole, endive or spinach into a large bowl, then add the ricotta.
• Add the eggs, grated Parmesan or Pecorino, salt, and pepper and mix well.
• Next, toss in the shredded mozzarella. Mix well.
• You'll already have the tomato sauce from my linked recipe, but here's the trick to not boiling the pasta, adding water to the sauce. I say to use boiling water because I don't want you using hot water from the tap; it needs to be very hot. Put half of the sauce in a bowl (if it's about 1 cup of sauce, add just under 1 cup of very hot/almost boiling water. You can make this watery sauce as you need it so you don't end up watering down too much of the sauce.
• Spread a generous amount of the watery sauce in the bottom of the pan, then start filling the tubes with the filling. As I said above, you can choose to use a piping bag without a tip, but it's really easy to use a small spoon, too. Use both ends to fill the manicotti shells as it's quicker than trying to push the filling all the way to the opposite end.
• Once full, place in the pan. Be sure to place them generously spaced apart as they will grow and spread.
• Once all the manicotti are filled (you may need another small tray if all of the manicotti don't fit (don't attempt to squeeze them in). I put 4 in a separate little dish. Make sure to cover all of the manicotti.
• Add enough watery sauce so that it comes about halfway up the pasta shells. We need this much liquid since the pasta hasn't been boiled (and absorbed the water when cooking). Let the shells rest for about half an hour before baking.
• Cover and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes, until the pasta is ready. You can remove the cover for the last 5 minutes if you like.
• Before serving, add some heated pasta sauce (the original batch, not watered down) to the manicotti. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese and add a sprig of parsley for color, and enjoy!

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.

MANICOTTI

Steps:

• Brown beef and garlic; drain.
• Mix next 4 ingredients; stir in beef.
• Fill each manicotti with about 1/4 cup of cheese and meat mixture.
• Place in a baking dish; cover with sauvce.
• Sprinkle with oregano and parmesan cheese.
• Cover with foil.
• Bake at 350° for 25 minutes.
• Remove foil and bake 10 more minutes.

BEEF AND CHEESE MANICOTTI

Steps:

• Heat a heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the olive oil, onion and ground beef. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until the meat browns and the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, and cool.
• Brush 1 teaspoon of oil over a large baking sheet. Cook the manicotti in a large pot of boiling salted water until slightly softened, but still very firm to the bite, about 4 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the manicotti from the pot to the oiled baking sheet and cool.
• Meanwhile, combine the ricotta, 1 1/2 to 2 cups mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan, and parsley. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper to taste, and mix. Stir the cooled meat mixture into the cheese mixture.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Brush the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil over a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Spoon 1 1/2 cups of the marinara sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish. Fill the manicotti with the cheese-meat mixture. Arrange the stuffed pasta in a single layer in the prepared dish and spoon the remaining sauce over.
• Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese, then the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan over the stuffed pasta. Dot entire dish with the butter pieces. Bake the manicotti uncovered until heated through and the sauce bubbles on the sides of the dish, about 30 to 35 minutes. Let the manicotti stand 5 minutes and serve.

BAKED MANICOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add manicotti and cook, according to package directions, until al dente. Drain, reserving pasta cooking water; rinse with cold water and drain again. Set aside.
• Bring pasta cooking water to a boil and add spinach; cook until just wilted. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Squeeze out excess water from spinach and finely chop.
• Transfer spinach to a large bowl along with ricotta, half of the Parmesan, egg yolks, and nutmeg; season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Stuff spinach mixture into manicotti and set aside.
• Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and stir until well combined. Gradually stir in milk; continue cooking, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and thickened.
• Evenly spread tomato sauce on the bottom of a small rectangular baking dish. Top with an even layer of stuffed manicotti. Pour butter mixture over manicotti and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Transfer to oven and bake until top is browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Let stand 10 to 20 minutes before serving with additional Parmesan cheese.

MANICOTTI WITH CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and cool on waxed paper or aluminum foil to prevent the noodles from sticking together.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt and pepper; fill manicotti with cheese mixture.
• In a 9x13 inch baking dish, spread a thin layer of spaghetti sauce on the bottom and arrange manicotti in a single layer; cover with remaining sauce. Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 15 minutes longer; serve.

JO'S MANICOTTI

Steps:

• In a large pot cook manicotti pasta with boiling salted water until al dente. Rinse with warm water and drain.
• In a large bowl mix together ricotta cheese, eggs, onion, grated Romano cheese, chicken bouillon, garlic, thyme, ground black pepper, and spinach.
• To assemble, fill manicotti noodles with cheese filling. Arrange noodles in a greased 9x13 inch pan. Pour tomato sauce down center of shells. Sprinkle with shredded Mozzarella cheese.
• Bake in a preheated 350 degree(175 degree C) oven for 25 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

SUSAN'S MANICOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, mozzarella, 1/2 cup Parmesan, egg, sugar and parsley; season with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper.
• Spread half the marinara in the bottom of a 9-by-13 inch baking dish. Fill each shell with ricotta mixture and arrange in an even layer in dish. Top with remaining 2 cups marinara. Cover with foil and bake until sauce is bubbling and shells are tender, about 40 minutes.
• Sprinkle remaining Parmesan over top, return to oven, and bake until cheese is browned in spots, about 10 minutes.

BEEF & CHEESE MANICOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cook the manicotti in a large pot of boiling salted water until slightly softened, but still firm if eaten. Be careful not to let them get too soft or it makes stuffing them very difficult.
• Heat a large pan over medium heat.
• Saute the ground beef and onion in olive oil.
• Remove from the heat and let cool.
• Brush a small amount of oil over a large baking sheet and Place the firmly cooked manicotti on it to cool.
• Meanwhile combine the ricotta, 1 1/2-2 cups of mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup of Parmesan.
• Add the minced garlic, salt & pepper to taste, and mix.
• Stir the cooled meat mixture with the cheese mixture.
• Brush another small amount of oil over a 13 by 9 glass baking dish.
• Spoon 1 1/2 cups of the spaghetti sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish.
• Fill the manicotti with the cheese and meat mixture, being careful not to break the noodles.
• Arrange the stuffed pasta in a single layer in the dish and spoon the remaining sauce over the manicotti.
• Sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella and the parmesan cheese over the pasta.
• Place the small butter pieces all over the dish.
• Bake the stuffed manicotti uncovered until heated through. The sauce will bubble on the sides of the dish, takes around 35 minutes.
• Let the manicotti stand for about 5 minutes.
• Serve.