Mamma Mia Now Thats Italian Manicotti Recipes

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!

MANICOTTI RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9"x13" baking dish with cooking spray.

MAMMA MIA, NOW THAT'S ITALIAN MANICOTTI

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.

THE BEST ITALIAN MANICOTTI

Steps:

• Ina large skillet, brown ground beef, then add garlic and onion, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes and drain.
• Add tomatoes, and the tomato liquid, mushrooms, fennel seed, basil, Italian seasoning, seasoned salt, and pepper and stir to mix well.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• In a seperate bowl, stir together well drained spinach, half the parmesan, cottage cheese, nutmeg, and pepper.
• In a sprayed 9x13 inch baking dish, spoon 1/3 of the beef sauce evenly over bottom of dish.
• Fill manicotti shells with spinach mixture and place on beef layer in baking dish.
• Repeat until all spinach mixture has been used in manicotti shells.
• Pour remaining beef sauce evenly over manicotti shells to cover.
• Sprinkle remaining parmesan cheese over top.
• Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until shells are tender.