Wild Mushroom & Onion Manicotti With an Asiago Sauce

Wild mushrooms, caramelized onions, creamy ricotta, tangy cheese, fresh herbs make this a great dish. Now I prefer whole wheat manicotti if you can find it. I found some at Whole Foods which I love, but if not, good ol' Ronzoni or Muellers or any brand will work just fine. To me it is just a nice option to the tomato based manicotti or that with beef or chicken. I just enjoy the change of having a lighter vegetarian dish now and then even though this has a rich cream sauce. You can certainly use a heavy cream vs milk, or even a combination of the two if you want even a thicker sauce, but the the comibination of the wild mushrooms and the Asiago make this a rich dish.

• Ready In: 1 hr 30 mins
• Serves: 8
• Yields: 6

Ingredients

• Filling

• 1 (8 ounce) box  manicotti
• 6  cups mushrooms, rough chopped (now I used a mix of button or white, cremini, and shitaki, but you can use any combination you want )
• 1  large onion, cut in quarters and thin sliced
• 1  tablespoon garlic, minced
• 8  ounces ricotta cheese (no low fat)
• 1⁄2 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
• 1  tablespoon fresh rosemary
• 1⁄2 teaspoon dried thyme
•  salt (1/2 teaspoon)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1  teaspoon olive oil (to saute the mushrooms and onion)
• 1  teaspoon butter (to saute the mushrooms and onion)

• Sauce

• 3  tablespoons flour
• 3  tablespoons butter
• 3  cups milk (you can use heavy cream, or a combination of milk & cream)
• 1  pinch nutmeg
• 1 1⁄2 cups asiago cheese
• 2  tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 3⁄4 cup parmesan cheese, for the topping
•  salt
•  pepper

Directions

1. Filling -- In a large saute pan add the butter and olive oil and add the garlic and onions, and cook 3-4 minutes until they begin to brown. Then add the mushrooms and cook until everything is tender and golden brown. Season with the rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper and cook about 5 minutes until everything is combined and the vegetables are nice and soft. Remove and let cool.
2. Pasta -- As the mushrooms cooks, bring a pot of salted water up to a boil and cook the manicotti according to directions. Drain and set on a cookie sheet to cool. I spray the cookie sheet with Pam or any non stick so they don't stick.
3. Filling Part II -- Now after the mushrooms have cooled, add to the ricotta cheese and the mozarella. Mix well and then stuff the manicotti and set to the side as you prepare the sauce.
4. Sauce -- In a medium pot, melt the butter on medium heat and add the flour and mix well to combine. Slowly whisk in the milk and bring to a medium boil to let the sauce thicken. Add a little salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. Once thickened, add the cheese and parsley and simmer just until melted.
5. Casserole -- Add 1 cup of the sauce to the bottom of a casserole dish lightly sprayed with pam or any non stick spray. Then add the manicotti. Top with the remaining cheese sauce making sure to cover each manicotti. Top with the remaining parmesan.
6. Bake -- 350 for 20-30 covered for (10 minutes) then uncovered for another 10-20 minutes until bubbly and golden brown. Make sure to let it set 5 minutes before serving.
7. A rich dish deserves a nice fresh crisp salad to go along the side. My secret salad. You know that jar of marinated vegetables next to the pickles and olives in the condiments aisle. Add a jar of that to some fresh romaine, add some fresh grape tomatoes and you have a great quick salad. You can even add some extra black or kalamata olive if you want. The vinegar and oil in the jar makes a great quick 2 minute salad. I usually add all the vegetables and about 1/2 of the liquid - Nothing else. Just toss and enjoy.