Baked Manicotti With Cheese Filling

Submitted by JackieOhNo!

"I have been making this for 25 years. It is time-consuming but worth it, and the only way a true Italian should eat manicotti (as homemade crepes, not pasta shells)."

 

• Ready In: 2hrs
• Ingredients: 22
• Serves: 6

ingredients

• SAUCE

• 1⁄3 cup olive oil
• 1 1⁄2 cups onions, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 (28 ounce) can Italian tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon oregano leaves, dried
• 1 teaspoon basil leaves, dried
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground pepper

• MANICOTTI

• 6 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour, unsifted
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt

• FILLING

• 2 lbs ricotta cheese
• 1 (8 ounce) package mozzarella cheese, diced
• 1⁄3 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 1⁄4 cup parmesan cheese

directions

1. Make sauce: In hot oil in 5-quart Dutch oven, saute onion and garlic 5 minutes. Mix in rest of sauce ingredients and 1-1/2 cups water, mashing tomatoes with fork. Bring to boiling, and reduce heat. Simmer mixture, covered and stirring occasionally, 1 hour.
2. Make Manicotti: In medium bowl, combine 6 eggs, the flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1-1/2 cups water; with electric mixer, beat just until smooth. Let stand 1/2 hour or longer. Slowly heat an 8-inch skillet. Pour in 3 tablespoons batter, rotating the skillet quickly to spread batter evenly over bottom.
3. Cook over medium heat until top is dry but bottom is not brown. Turn out on a wire rack to cool. Continue cooking until all of the batter is used. As the manicotti cool, stack them with waxed paper between them.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make Filling: In large bowl, combine ricotta, mozzarella, 1/3 cup parmesan, the eggs, salt, pepper, and parsley; beat with wooden spoon to blend well. Spread about 1/4 cup filling down the center of each manicotti, and roll up.
5. Spoon 1-1/2 cups sauce into each of two 12-by-8-by-2-inch baking dishes. Place eight rolled manicotti seam side down, in single layer; top with five more. Cover with 1 cup sauce; sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake, uncovered, 1/2 hour, or until bubbly.
6. To Freeze: Line baking dish with large piece of foil; assemble as directed. Fold foil over to seal, and freeze in dish. When frozen, remove dish.
7. To serve: Unwrap; place in baking dish, and let stand 1 hour to thaw. Bake, uncovered, 1 hour in 350 degree oven.
8. *If not using a skillet with a non-stick surface, brush skillet lightly with butter for each manicotti.

Reviews

[breezermom]

Absolutely delicious! My son couldn't get enough! Definitely worth the extra effort. It's easier to stuff the homemade manicotti than to stuff store bought. Thanks so much for sharing! Made for Culinary Quest Summer 2014.

 

[sheepdoc]

The sauce is awesome. I'm going to use that recipe to make and freeze, using all the end-of-season bounty. I used fresh tomatoes; I guessed about the same amount as in a can, and only 1 cup of water. Usually I use lasagna noodles and I thought this was going to be a real pain but making the crepes was pretty easy. Made for CQ 14.

 

[SBRISKE]

loved this recipe! melt in your mouth. definately worth making extra crepes, to freeze for later use, when making recipe again! a bit puttsy but worth it!