Manicotti Alla Romana Food

MANICOTTI

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and cook the manicotti until shy of al dente, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain and cool to handle.
• For the sauce: Place in a food processor the canned tomatoes, garlic, onion, sugar, basil, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper to taste and the EVOO. Blend until smooth, and then place the sauce in a pot. Stir together with the passata or tomato sauce and simmer 20 minutes.
• Pour half of the sauce into large baking dish.
• For the filling: Mix together in a large bowl the spinach, ricotta, half the Parm, salt and pepper to taste and a little nutmeg. Taste to adjust seasonings before adding the eggs. Once the eggs are incorporated, spoon the filling into a large plastic food storage bag and trim the corner. Pipe the filling into the manicotti and put in the baking dish. Cover the casserole with the remaining sauce, Parm and mozzarella. Cover and store for a make-ahead meal.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and bake until brown and bubbly, 30 to 35 minutes.

MANICOTTI ALLA ROMANA

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onions until translucent. Saute garlic for 1 minute and stir in ground beef. Cook until well browned and crumbled. Season with salt and set aside to cool.
• Cook spinach according to package directions. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add manicotti shells and parboil for half of the time recommended on the package. Drain and cover with cool water to stop the cooking process and prevent the shells from cracking.
• To the ground beef mixture add the cooked spinach and ricotta cheese. When the mixture is cool, add the beaten eggs. Spread 1/4 cup spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Gently drain the manicotti shells and carefully stuff each one with the meat and cheese mixture; place shells in prepared dish. Lightly cover the dish with plastic wrap or a clean, damp towel to prevent shells from cracking.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Prepare the white sauce by melting the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and chicken bouillon. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring constantly, until it begins to bubble. Stir in half and half and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in parsley. Pour or ladle the sauce evenly over the stuffed shells.
• Stir the basil into the remaining spaghetti sauce. Carefully pour or ladle spaghetti sauce over the white sauce, trying to layer the sauces without mixing.
• Cover and bake for 40 minutes. Remove from oven, uncover and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes more.

MANICOTTI SHELLS

Steps:

• Mix together: flour, water, eggs and salt to make a thin, smooth batter. Pour about 1/4 cup batter onto lightly greased griddle. Cook until top forms film.

MANICOTTI ALLA ROMANA

Steps:

• To prepare the filling: Saute onions in oil over medium heat until soft. Add garlic, saute 1 minute. Remove from pan to a large bowl. Brown meat in same skillet; season with salt and Italian seasoning. Drain and cool.
• Cook spinach in microwave, covered, with a little water for 2-3 minutes. Drain well and add to the bowl with onions, along with the eggs, cottage cheese and meat. Mix well.
• To prepare the white sauce: melt the butter in a saucepan over medium low heat. Whisk in the flour and bouillon granules till lumps are gone. Slowly add the half and half. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in parsley.
• Cook manicotti shells in boiling salted water for half the time indicated on package (5 minutes.) Drain and cover with a damp towel to prevent shells from drying and cracking.
• Spread 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 10x14 baking dish.
• Gently stuff the manicotti with meat mixture, placing in baking dish. Keep the manicotti covered while working.
• Spoon the white sauce evenly over the manicotti.
• Spoon the remaining red sauce over the white sauce, being careful not to mix the two.
• Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
• Sprinkle the mozzarella and romano cheeses on top and bake, uncovered, 10 more minutes or till cheese is melted.

ITALIAN MANICOTTI ALLA ROMANO

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onions until translucent. Saute garlic for 1 minute and stir in ground beef. Cook until well browned and crumbled. Season with salt and set aside to cool.
• Cook spinach according to package directions. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add manicotti shells and parboil for half of the time recommended on the package. Drain and cover with cool water to stop the cooking process and prevent the shells from cracking.
• To the ground beef mixture add the cooked spinach and ricotta cheese. When the mixture is cool, add the beaten eggs. Spread 1/4 cup spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Gently drain the manicotti shells and carefully stuff each one with the meat and cheese mixture; place shells in prepared dish. Lightly cover the dish with plastic wrap or a clean, damp towel to prevent shells from cracking.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Prepare the white sauce by melting the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and chicken bouillon. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring constantly, until it begins to bubble. Stir in half and half and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in parsley. Pour or ladle the sauce evenly over the stuffed shells.
• Stir the basil into the remaining spaghetti sauce. Carefully pour or ladle spaghetti sauce over the white sauce, trying to layer the sauces without mixing.
• Cover and bake for 40 minutes. Remove from oven, uncover and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes more.

GNOCCHI ALLA ROMANA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 defrees. Butter a jelly roll pan that has 3/4 inches sides.
• In a 3 to 4 quart sauce pan, heat the milk, salt, and 6 Tbs of the butter nearly to the boiling point over medium heat.
• Whisking vigorously, add the semolina in a thin stream and cook for about a minute, switching to a wooden spoon as the batter thickens.
• Remove from the heat and stir 1/2 cup of the grated cheese, then beat in the egg yolks. Working quickly pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread to a thicknes off 1/2 inch. Allow to cool and cover with plastic until ready to cook.
• Using a 3-inch diameter water glass, cut a rows of rounds across the sheet.
• Arrangein a well buttered baking dish. If there is any butter left, mealt it and pour on top of gnocchis. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of grated cheese. Place in the oven and cook 15 to 20 minutes, or until the top is light golden brown. Remove and serve inmediately.

EASY MANICOTTI ALLA ROMANA

Steps:

• Saute onion and garlic in 3 quart saucepan until golden. Add mushrooms and cook until browned, about 5 minutes.
• Add spinach to pan and heat through.
• Puree tofu in a food processor. Add parmesan, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and blend. Pour mixture over spinach. Mix well and heat through.
• OPTIONAL: boil manicotti in 4 quarts of salted water for one minute, and bathe in cold water. (This is the step per the original instructions, but I've never found it necessary to cook manicotti for a casserole -- and they are much easier to stuff when dry).
• Stuff each manicotti with about 1/2 cup of the spinach mixture. Place in casserole dish and cover with marinara. Place foil over dish and bake 45 minutes.

CHICKEN SALTIMBOCCA ALLA ROMANA

Steps:

• Place chicken cutlet on a cutting board and cover with a sheet of plastic wrap. Gently evenly pound the cutlet to 1/4 of an inch thick.
• Season both sides of the cutlets with salt and pepper.
• Place 2 sage leaves on each cutlet and top with prosciutto.
• Cover the cutlets with a sheet of plastic wrap and use the meat mallet to lightly pound each cutlet to adhere the sage and prosciutto to the chicken.
• Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat.
• Add butter and oil and heat through.
• Place the chicken cutlets in the pan prosciutto-side down and cook until crisp, about 2 minutes.
• Turn the cutlets over and cook until done, about 1 minute more.
• Transfer the cutlets to a platter and tent with aluminum foil.
• Return the pan back to the heat and add the wine, scraping up any browned bits for them bottom.
• Cook until the wine has reduced by half. Add the cutlets back to the pan to warm through and coat well with the sauce, serve immediately.
• Enjoy!