Authentic Manicotti Cannelloni Food

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!

AUTHENTIC MANICOTTI & CANNELLONI

Steps:

• Marinara:
• Heat oil. Add onions and garlic and cook until soft, but not brown.
• Add tomatoes, paste, basil, sugar, salt and pepper. Reduce heat low, simmer partially covered, 40 minutes. Stir occasionally.
• Press through sieve. Season to taste.
• Crepes:
• Mix eggs and milk and beat well.
• Add flour a little at a time with a whisk.
• Butter 6" fry pan. Place a little batter in pan and swirl until bottom is covered. Cook on one side until dry. Butter pan as needed.
• Cheese filling (Manicotti):
• Mix together all ingredients.
• Meat filling (Cannelloni or Ravioli):
• Melt butter in skillet, cook onions 7-8 minutes.
• Add meat, cook until liquid cooks away. Take off the heat. Place in bowl.
• Stir in spinach and cheese. Add eggs (beaten) to mixture. Season.
• Besciamella (white sauce):
• Melt butter over moderate heat. Remove from heat and whisk in flour.
• Pour in cream and milk all at once. Whisk until flour is partially dissolved. Return to heat and cook until sauce comes to boil and is smooth.
• Simmer, low, 2-3 minutes, season.
• Assembly:
• Heat the oven to 375ËšF.
• Fill crepes with filling.
• Place film of tomato sauce into baking dishes. Lay manicotti side by side on sauce.
• Pour besciamella over and spoon rest of tomato sauce on top.
• Scatter on cheese and dot with butter.
• Bake 20 - 25 minutes, until cheese is melted and sauce bubbling.

SPINACH BEEF CANNELLONI (MANICOTTI)

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large saucepan or pot over medium high heat. Add garlic and onion, cook 2 minutes. Add carrot and celery, cook 5 minutes.
• Add remaining Sauce ingredients then stir. Bring to simmer, lower heat to medium, cover with lid and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Use a stick blender to blitz until smooth (or cool slightly and use blender or food processor). Set aside.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add onion and garlic, cook 2 minutes.
• Add beef and cook, breaking it up as you go, until it all changes from red to brown.
• Stir in spinach, then add crumbled beef cube, Worcestershire sauce, pepper and 1 cup of Cannelloni Sauce. Stir, cook 2 minutes.
• Remove and cool slightly.
• Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F.
• Transfer Beef Filling into a piping bag with a wide nozzle. Stand cannelloni tubes upright in a container, then pipe filling in. (Or do this step with teaspoon/finger/dinner knife!).
• Spread about 1 1/4 cups Sauce in a 23x33cm / 9x13" dish. Lay the cannelloni on top, then pour over remaining Sauce.
• Sprinkle with cheese, loosely cover with foil.
• Bake 25 minutes, remove foil then bake a further 10 minutes until the cheese is bubbly with some golden spots.
• Remove from oven, sprinkle with parsley if using then serve!

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.

CANNELLONI OR MANICOTTI WITH CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl combine chicken cubes, onion, thyme and vermouth.
• Allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
• In the meantime, in a large saucepan with 2 cups of water, add kale and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes.
• Drain and cover kale with cold water; set aside.
• Strain the marinade into a large frying pan or skillet; set aside the chicken and onions.
• Add chicken broth to the frying pan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
• Add chicken/onion to frying pan and poach until the chicken is no longer pink at the center, about 4 minutes.
• With a slotted spoon, remove the chicken cubes to a food processor, reserving the poaching liquid.
• Process the chicken in short bursts until the cubes are finely chopped.
• Drain kale well, chop and add to the food processor.
• Add ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, 4 tablespoons of parmesan cheese, black pepper and nutmeg and process to blend; set aside.
• To prepare the sauce, melt butter in a 2 quart saucepan over medium heat.
• Gradually whisk in flour to make a paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, DO NOT BURN or let it go lumpy.
• Whisk in reserved poaching liquid, bring to boil, whisking constantly, about 2 minutes.
• Add milk and return the liquid to boil, whisking frequently.
• Reduce heat to low and let the sauce simmer gently for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally while you prepare the cannelloni.
• In a large cooking pot or pasta cooking pot, fill 3/4 full with water and bring to a rolling boil.
• Add 1 tablespoon salt and 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
• Add cannelloni or manicotti tubes and cook for about 15 minutes or until al dente'.
• When done, transfer tubes to bowl of cold water.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Thoroughly drain cannelloni tubes and carefully fill them with the stuffing mixture using a small spoon.
• In a 9x9-inch oven-proof casserole dish, arrange stuffed cannelloni in a single layer.
• Ladle the sauce over the cannelloni.
• Sprinkle remaining 4 tablespoons of parmesan cheese over the top.
• Cover the casserole dish tightly with aluminum foil.
• Bake in preheated 400°F oven for 30 minutes.
• Remove foil from the dish and place dish under the broiler, about 3 inches below and broil for about 5 minutes until the cannelloni is lightly browned.
• Serve immediately.
• You can delete the chicken if you do not want it. Also, you can use Spinach instead of Kale.
• You may use the sauce that I make for my UNCLE BILL'S CABBAGE ROLLS, recipe #35722.