Mommas Manicotti Recipes

Steps:

• 1. To make the pasta: Combine the 3 three eggs, flour and water in a blender, mix until smooth. Let sit for 10 - 15 minutes. It will be thick but pourable!
• 2. While the pasta "batter" rests. Mix the filling ingredients, making sure to mix well. Hint: the pinch of nutmeg will make cheese flavor really stand out.
• 3. Making the "shells" OVER MEDIUM HEAT, IN A SMALL NON-STICK FRY PAN, (6") ADD ABOUT 3 TBSP. OF BATTER, YOU WANT TO HAVE A THIN LAYER TO COVER PAN BOTTOM. (ROTATE PAN AFTER ADDING BATTER.) IT'S LIKE MAKING THIN CREPES. A FEW SECONDS ON EACH SIDE AND TURN OUT TO RACK TO COOL. CONTINUE UNTIL ALL BATTER IS USED. COOL ON WIRE RACK. PLACE PASTA CIRCLE ON FLAT SURFACE, AND FILL WITH CHEESE ABOUT 1/4 CUP PER MANICOTTI.
• 4. IN A 8 ''X 12'' BAKING DISH, POUR ABOUT 1 TO 1 1/4 CUP SAUCE, PLACE STUFFED MANICOTTI SIDE BY SIDE. TOP WITH ADDITIONAL SAUCE, SPRINKLE WITH GRATED CHEESE AND BAKE AT 350 DEGREES , UNCOVERED, FOR 1/2 HOUR OR UNTIL SAUCE IS BUBBLING. MANICOTTI FREEZE WELL (WITHOUT SAUCE, JUST FREEZE ON COOKIE SHEET THEN PLACE IN FREEZER BAG.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F.
• Cook thoroughly sausage and mushrooms (or saute assorted veggies if making veggie version) with garlic,italian seasoning and salt and pepper to taste.
• In saucepan, combine spaghetti sauce and water; heat to boiling, stirring frequently.
• Reduce heat; keep warm.
• In bowl, stir together cheeses, parsley, egg, salt and pepper; spoon into uncooked pasta tubes.
• Pour 1 cup sauce on bottom of 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish; arrange filled pasta in single layer over sauce.
• Pour remaining sauce over pasta; sprinkle with cheese if desired and cover with foil.
• Bake 40 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Remove foil; bake 5 minutes longer.
• Serve -pasta and filling will be HOT!
• Enjoy!
• To make ahead and freeze:.
• MAKE AHEAD DIRECTIONS: Prepare as directed above; cool 30 minutes.
• Cover tightly with plastic wrap; then foil.
• Freeze up to 2 months.
• Thaw in refrigerator overnight (casserole is too dry if heated from frozen state)May want to add a small amount of additional moisture- water or sauce.
• Bake at 350°F 60 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

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.

Steps:

• For TOMATO SAUCE:.
• Heat olive oil in a 2-qt. saucepan.
• Add chopped onion and garlic.
• Cook for 8 minutes or until soft but not brown.
• Add tomatoes, paste, basil, sugar, salt and pepper. Break up tomatoes.
• Reduce heat to low with pan partially covered and cook for 40 minutes.
• Put a thin layer of tomato sauce in bottom of 9 x 13" pan and set aside.
• For FILLING:.
• Heat olive oil in skillet. Add onion and garlic, cook until soft.
• Stir in chopped spinach and cook, stirring constantly until all mixed together. Remove from skillet and put into a large mixing bowl.
• Melt 2 T. butter in same skillet and lightly brown ground beef. Drain off grease.
• Add the meat to the onion and spinach, along with the Parmesan cheese, Half n' Half, eggs, and oregano. Season to taste, with salt and pepper. Mix together thoroughly, but gently.
• Boil manicotti to al dente stage and stuff with filling. Lay manicotti gently in pan over the thin layer of tomato sauce.
• For BESCIAMELLIA:.
• In a saucepan, melt butter and remove from heat.
• Stir in flour and pour in the milk and Half 'n Half, about a 1/2 cup at a time. Mix well.
• Return pan to high heat and cook, stirring constantly, until smooth and thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
• Spoon besciamellia over stuffed manicotti shells.
• Top with remaining tomato sauce.
• Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
• Bake at 350 degrees uncovered on middle shelf of oven for 25 minutes. Let set 5 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Cook pasta as per directions on package.
• Combine ricotta cheese, mozzarella, pesto, garlic, and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Set aside.
• Pour 2 cups of spaghetti sauce on the bottom of a glass 9x13-inch pan.
• Stuff pasta's with cheese mixture and place in glass pan.
• Top with remaining sauce and parmesan cheese.
• Bake 350° for approximately 40 minutes.
• Serve with a nice salad, garlic bread and of course a fine red wine.

Steps:

• Make sauce:
• Heat oil in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté onion, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and sauté, stirring, until golden, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes with juice, water, sugar, and salt and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 30 minutes. Stir in basil and remove from heat.
• Make crêpes:
• Break up eggs with a wooden spoon in a medium bowl and stir in water until combined (don't beat). Sift in flour and salt, then stir batter until just combined. Force through a medium-mesh sieve into another bowl.
• Lightly brush an 8-inch nonstick skillet with melted butter and heat over moderate heat until hot. Ladle about 1/4 cup batter into skillet, tilting and rotating skillet to coat bottom, then pour excess batter back into bowl. (If batter sets before skillet is coated, reduce heat slightly for next crêpe.) Cook until underside is just set and lightly browned, about 30 seconds, then invert crêpe onto a clean kitchen towel to cool completely. Make at least 11 more crêpes in same manner, brushing skillet with butter as needed and stacking crêpes in 3 piles.
• Make filling and assemble manicotti:
• Stir together ricotta, eggs, Parmigiano-Reggiano, parsley, salt, and pepper.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.
• Cut mozzarella lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick sticks.
• Spread 2 cups sauce in larger baking dish and 1 cup in smaller one. Arrange 1 crêpe, browned side up, on a work surface, then spread about 1/4 cup filling in a line across center and top with a mozzarella strip. Fold in sides to enclose filling, leaving ends open, and transfer, seam side down, to either baking dish. Fill 11 more crêpes in same manner, arranging snugly in 1 layer in both dishes (8 in larger dish and 4 in smaller). Spread 1 cup sauce over manicotti in larger dish and 1/2 cup in smaller dish. Tightly cover dishes with foil and bake until sauce is bubbling and filling is hot, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve remaining sauce on the side.