Auntie Annas Manicotti Recipe 435

MANICOTTI WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepot over medium heat. Cook the sausage, breaking it up into small pieces, until browned and caramelized, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the sausage to a paper towel-lined plate and reserve for the filling.
• Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pot and cook the onion until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute (the tomato paste will turn a deep maroon color). Add the crushed tomatoes, sugar, bay leaves, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a pinch of black pepper. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low and cook for 30 minutes. Melt the butter into the sauce, remove the bay leaves and stir in 1/3 cup of basil. Remove the sauce from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature, 40 minutes.
• For the filling: mix together the ricotta, reserved sausage, the remaining 1/3 cup basil, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, 1 1/2 cups Parmesan, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Fold in 1 cup of the cooled tomato sauce. Place the filling in a large piping bag and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the manicotti shells until they have softened slightly but still hold their tubular shape, 5 minutes.
• Pour half of the tomato sauce into a broiler-proof 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Fill each shell with the ricotta mixture. Place the filled shells in the baking dish. Pipe any extra filling along the ends of the shells in the dish. Top with the remaining tomato sauce and sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups mozzarella and 1 cup Parmesan over the top. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake until the sauce begins to bubble, 40 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven, remove the foil and increase the oven to 425 degrees F. Put the manicotti back into the oven to bake until the cheese is browned and bubbling, about 10 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

BAKED MANICOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add manicotti and cook, according to package directions, until al dente. Drain, reserving pasta cooking water; rinse with cold water and drain again. Set aside.
• Bring pasta cooking water to a boil and add spinach; cook until just wilted. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Squeeze out excess water from spinach and finely chop.
• Transfer spinach to a large bowl along with ricotta, half of the Parmesan, egg yolks, and nutmeg; season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Stuff spinach mixture into manicotti and set aside.
• Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and stir until well combined. Gradually stir in milk; continue cooking, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and thickened.
• Evenly spread tomato sauce on the bottom of a small rectangular baking dish. Top with an even layer of stuffed manicotti. Pour butter mixture over manicotti and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Transfer to oven and bake until top is browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Let stand 10 to 20 minutes before serving with additional Parmesan cheese.

AUNTIE ANNA'S MANICOTTI RECIPE - (4.3/5)

Steps:

• CREPES In a blender container, blend the water, milk, eggs and butter. Add the flour and salt, blend until smooth and free of lumps. Pour into a bowl and allow the batter to rest for an hour. Heat an 8" non-stick skillet to medium heat. Have waiting melted butter and a pastry brush. Brush a light coat of butter over the surface and when hot, with a ladle, pour in 2-3 tablespoons of batter. Quickly and carefully tilt the pan in a rotating motion until the batter forms a thin, round layer in the pan. Let cook, 30 seconds or more until the bottom is set and starting to color. Lift a set edge with a fork or small offset spatula and flip the crepe over, cooking a bit longer until the bottom side is set (will be a bit shiny in places). Remove to a plate. Lightly grease the pan, and repeat the process, continuing until all of the batter has been used, you should have around 10-12 crepes. FILLING Combine all of the ingredients well in a bowl. SAUCE Heat an 8" skillet over medium. Glaze with olive oil and sauté the sausage, turning and crumbling until no longer pink and beginning to brown. Remove from heat. Meanwhile, heat a 3 qt. sauce pan to medium. Add the olive oil, Add the garlic and the potato, stirring and cooking until fragrant ( do not allow the potato to crisp and brown). Add the pureed tomatoes, the sausage and any accumulated juices from the pan, a pinch of salt and some grindings of pepper. Bring to a low boil and reduce heat to a simmer, cooking until thick and flavorful, 20-30 minutes. Taste and decide whether you would like to add the optional sugar for sweetness. Check for salt. Allow sauce to cool at least 10 minutes. TO ASSEMBLE AND BAKE Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease an 8" x 12 ½" Pyrex or other non-metallic baking dish. Ladle some sauce onto the bottom of the dish, enough to cover. Assemble the manicotti. Select your 10 most beautiful crepes. Shinier side up, (the second side cooked), scoop a thick line (approx. 2 tablespoons), of filling along the center of each crepe, and roll wrapper around filling. Filling should extend to the ends. Line up filled manicotti in the sauce-covered dish. Snuggle them together - 10 will fill the dish perfectly. Pour over the remaining sauce and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese and sprinkle with a little more chopped basil. Bake, uncovered 35-40 minutes until hot and bubbling. Place under a high broiler a couple of minutes to if you desire to further brown the cheese. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.