Spinach Manicotti With Ham Food

SPINACH CHEESE MANICOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a large bowl, combine ricotta, spinach, onion and egg. Season with parsley, pepper and garlic powder. Mix in 1 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan. In a separate bowl, stir together spaghetti sauce and water.
• Spread 1 cup sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Stuff uncooked manicotti shells with ricotta mixture, and arrange in a single layer in the dish. Cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.
• Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes, or until noodles are soft.

SPINACH MANICOTTI WITH HAM

Steps:

• Cook manicotti according to package directions. For sauce, in a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in the flour, pepper, salt and nutmeg until blended. Gradually whisk in milk. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened., In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, spinach and oregano. Stir in ham; add 1/2 cup sauce. Drain manicotti; stuff with ham mixture. Spread 1/2 cup sauce into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Top with stuffed manicotti. Pour remaining sauce over top; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese., Cover and bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes. Uncover and bake 5 minutes longer or until golden brown.

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.

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.

HAM STUFFED MANICOTTI

Steps:

• Cook manicotti as directed on package. Rinse in cool water and set aside. Meanwhile, cook onion, garlic, and bell pepper in 1/4 cup butter or olive oil until tender. Add ham and set aside to cool. Stir in 1/3 cup parmesan cheese.
• In another heavy sauce pan cook 6 Tbsp. butter or olive oil until foamy. Stir in flour and stir constantly until mixture bubbles (about 3 minutes). Add milk and whisk until sauce thickens. Stir in two cups Swiss cheese. Mix 1/4 cheese sauce with ham mixture.
• Fill manicotti shells with ham mixture (use fingers--messy but most efficient). Spread 1/2 cup cheese sauce on bottom of 13 x 9 inch glass baking pan. Arrange shells on top of sauce. Sprinkle any remaining ham mixture on top of shells. Pour remaining cheese sauce over shells. At this point the manicotti may be cooled in refrigerator, then wrapped and frozen up to three months. To thaw and reheat put in refrigerator overnight then uncover and sprinkle with 1/2 cup parmesan cheese.
• Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-50 minutes. If not freezing sprinkle with 1/2 cup parmesan and bake 30-40 minute until bubbly.

CRAB AND SPINACH STUFFED MANICOTTI

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F.
• Cook pasta as directed on package, omitting salt.
• Meanwhile, melt 1 Tbsp. butter in large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add onions; cook 5 to 6 min. or until crisp-tender, stirring frequently. Add spinach and garlic; cook and stir 1 to 2 min. or just until spinach is wilted. Spoon spinach mixture into medium bowl.
• Melt remaining butter in same skillet. Stir in flour; cook 2 min., stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, whisking constantly after each addition. Bring to boil, whisking constantly; cook and stir 5 min. or until thickened. Remove skillet from heat. Add nutmeg, pepper and 1/2 cup Parmesan to white sauce; mix well.
• Add ricotta to spinach mixture along with 1 cup of the cheese sauce and 1/2 cup of the remaining Parmesan; mix lightly. Stir in crabmeat. Spoon into resealable plastic bag.
• Drain pasta; rinse with cold water. Cut small piece off one bottom corner of filled plastic bag; use to squeeze enough crab mixture into both sides of pasta shells until shells are evenly filled with crab mixture. Place in 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; top with remaining cheese sauce, then remaining Parmesan.
• Bake 30 to 35 min. or until heated through.

HAM AND PEPPERONI STUFFED MANICOTTI

Steps:

• In a pan, brown onion and garlic set aside. In a large bowl mix all cheese, ham and pepperoni and set aside.
• Boil manicotti for 6 minutes; drain and let cool! Mix tomato paste and tomatoes, salt and pepper; simmer 15-20 minutes.
• After the manicotti is cool, stuff each one. Put some sauce in the bottom of a 13x9 inch pan, add stuffed manicotti cover with suace and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

FRESH SPINACH AND MUSHROOM MANICOTTI

Steps:

• Cook manicotti according to package directions and drain.
• Rinse with cold water, drain and set aside.
• Sauté mushrooms and garlic in ht oil in a large skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes.
• Add spinach and saute 5 more minutes.
• Remove skillet from heat.
• Drain any fat off the spinach and garlic.
• Stir together eggs, ricotta cheese, basil and salt in a large bowl add mushroom mixture stirring until blended.
• Spread 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce in a lightly greased 13x9-inch baking dish.
• Squeeze or spoon spinach mixture into shells.
• Arrange stuffed shells in dish.
• Pour remaining marinara sauce over the top evenly over shells.
• Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
• Bake covered at 350°F for 30 minutes.
• Uncover and bake for 10 more minutes.