Kims Manicotti Food

EASY MANICOTTI

Steps:

• Combine Ricotta, Mozzarella, grated Parmesan, sugar, egg, nutmeg, parsley, salt and pepper to taste.
• Stuff uncooked manicotti generously with the cheese mixture, from both ends.
• Arrange manicotti in a single layer in a baking pan.
• Bring sauce to a boil and pour over manicotti, covering completely.
• Cover baking pan with aluminum foil, crimping the edges to seal tightly.
• Bake in a preheated 400 degree Fahrenheit oven for 40 minutes.
• Remove foil; sprinkle generously with additional grated cheese.
• Bake uncovered for 5 minutes more.

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.

STUFFED MANICOTTI WITH FRESH MARINARA SAUCE

Steps:

• Make the crepes (crespelle):
• In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and melted butter. Gradually whisk in the flour and salt until the mixture is smooth. Refrigerate for 1 hour until slightly thickened.
• Spray an 8-inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Place the pan over medium heat. With a small ladle, pour about 3 tablespoons of the batter into the pan. Turn the pan at a 45 degree angle to coat the pan evenly so the batter forms a perfect circle. Cook the crepe only until lightly browned, about 30 seconds. Turn the crepe over with a spatula and cook the other side only until lightly browned, about 30 seconds. Slide the crepe onto a 12-inch platter and continue the process with the remaining batter. Stack the crepes between waxed paper so they don't stick. You can prepare these crepes a day in advance covered in plastic wrap in the refrigerator. No need to reheat the crepes before filling and baking.
• Make the ricotta filling:
• In a large bowl, add all the ingredients for the ricotta filling. With a large wooden spoon or spatula, stir all the ingredients until well blended. Store covered in plastic wrap in the refrigerator until ready to use. You can make this filling the day before.
• Make the marinara sauce:
• In a large heavy nonreactive saucepan with a lid, heat the olive oil on medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic and cook until fragrant but NOT browned. Add the crushed tomatoes to the pan and crush further with a potato masher. Simmer 30 minutes, slightly covered, on medium-low heat, stirring every so often.
• Add the parsley, basil leaves and salt and pepper, to taste, and simmer for another 10 minutes until the sauce is slightly reduced. Taste and re-season as necessary.
• Put it all together:
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with 1 cup of the prepared marinara sauce.
• Spoon 3 tablespoons of the prepared ricotta filling 1 inch from the edge of a crepe. Roll evenly into a log, keeping the filling even as you roll. Repeat with the remaining crepes. Place manicotti seam side down and side by side in the sauced baking pan.
• Spoon 1 to 2 cups of sauce over the top of the manicotti. Sprinkle with the grated Parmesan.
• Cover the baking dish loosely with foil and bake about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake another 20 minutes until the topping is golden brown and sides are bubbling. Let rest about 15 minutes before serving to firm up the manicotti filling.

KIM'S OLD MANICOTTI

Steps:

• 1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 13x9-inch pan with non-stick cooking spray. Cook pasta, drain, rinse with cool water, and let dry on paper towel.
• 2) In medium bowel, stir 3 cups mozzarella with ricotta and fresh basil. Carefully fill each shell with cheese mixture.
• 3) Pour 2 cups of spaghetti sauce in 13x9 pan. Arrange stuffed pasta on sauce. Pour remaining sauce on pasta. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella.
• 4) Bake 15 minutes, sprinkle parmesan, bake 10 more minutes.

THE BEST CHEESE MANICOTTI

Steps:

• Cook the manicotti shells according to the directions on the box.
• Drain in colander and set aside to dry.
• Mix all the ricotta, 2 cups mozzarella, and 1/4 cup parmesan in a bowl.
• Add an extra handful of mozzarella and a little more parmesan if you like it cheesier.
• I like a lot of flavor in my manicotti so I just keep adding the basil and Italian seasoning until I think it’s enough.
• If you don’t like a lot of seasoning, just put 1 tsp.
• of each in.
• If not, just keep adding until it's seasoned to your taste.
• You can also add a dash of salt and pepper if you like or a little bit of garlic.
• Preheat oven to 350.
• Once the shells are drained and the cheese is mixed together, begin stuffing the shells.
• Be careful because they have a tendency to split.
• Pour about half of the marinara sauce in the bottom of the baking dish and spread evenly before you place the shells in the dish.
• Once all the shells arranged in the baking dish, pour the remainder of the marinara sauce on top.
• Then add any leftover cheese on top of the sauce.
• Sprinkle with basil and Italian seasoning.
• Cover with aluminum foil.
• Bake for about 30 minutes.

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.

MANICOTTI

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.