Baked Manicotti

Best Baked Manicotti

SERVES 6-8

This was one of the best things I've made in a long time. I made some modifications to the original recipe. First of all, I used "fresh" lasagne sheets — rectangular sheets of fresh pasta that were perfect for rolling. I had never seen them before. The other thing I added was two chopped peppers — an orange and a yellow one — and a package of fresh mushrooms, chopped. I sauteed the vegetables in a bit of olive oil and then cooled them before adding them to the cheese mixture. I added a bit of sugar to the tomato sauce (which was a great tomato sauce), and 1/4 tsp nutmeg to the cheese mixture. This recipe made about a dozen fairly good-sized rolls, and one, with a salad on the side, was quite filling.

I just thought of another modification. I put only half the mozzarella into the cheese mixture, and saved the rest for the top. So the cheese topping was a mixture of parmesan and mozzarella. I guess you could add all the mozzarella to the cheese mixture and just grate more for the topping. The cheese mixture was quite thick, making for really nice, plump rolls.

If you are using fresh lasagne sheets for this, you can ignore the instructions in step 4, and just roll them as you see fit, without cooking the pasta. The pasta cooks in the sauce. It seems to me this would be a bit fussy with small lasagne noodles. The lasagne sheets were about four inches by seven inches. In fact, they were a bit long, so I cut off about an inch.

INGREDIENTS

         Tomato Sauce:

         1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes (in juice)

         1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

         2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

         3 medium cloves garlic, finely minced

         1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional

         1/2 teaspoon salt

         2 teaspoons dried basil

Mum's addition: 1/2 tsp sugar (they say you need sugar in tomato sauce)

         Cheese Filling and Pasta:

         3 cups part-skim ricotta cheese

         4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 cups)

         8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (about 2 cups)

         2 large eggs, lightly beaten

         3/4 teaspoon table salt

         1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

         2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves (or 2 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley)

         2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil (or 1 teaspoon dried basil)

Mum's addition: 2 chopped peppers (whatever colour you wish) and a package of fresh mushrooms, chopped and sauteed in a bit of olive oil

I also added 1/4 tsp of nutmeg to the cheese mixture

         16 no-boil lasagna noodles (this recipe suggests the Barilla brand – apparently they are supposed to be the most similar to homemade pasta)

DIRECTIONS

1.            Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees.

2.            Heat oil, garlic, and pepper flakes (if using) in large saucepan over medium heat until fragrant but not brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, basil and 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes.

3.            In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, 1 cup Parmesan chese, mozzarella cheese, eggs, salt, pepper, and herbs; set aside.

4.            To assemble, pour 1 inch boiling water into 13 by 9-inch baking dish, then add noodles one at a time. Let noodles soak until pliable, about 5 minutes, separating noodles with tip of sharp knife to prevent sticking. Remove noodles from water and place in single layer on clean kitchen towels; discard water in baking dish and dry baking dish.

5.            Spread bottom of baking dish evenly with 1 1/2 cups sauce. Using soupspoon, spread 1/4 cup cheese mixture evenly onto bottom three-quarters of each noodle (with short side facing you), leaving top quarter of noodle exposed. Roll into tube shape and arrange in baking dish seam side down. (You should be able to fit 8 manicotti in each row, allowing all 16 to fit in the dish). Top evenly with remaining sauce, making certain that pasta is completely covered.

6.            Cover manicotti with aluminum foil. Bake until bubbling, about 40 minutes, then remove foil. Sprinkle manicotti evenly with remaining 1 cup Parmesan. Bake until cheese is browned and bubbly, about 6-7 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

7.            The manicotti can be prepared right up until the baking step then covered with a sheet of parchment paper, wrapped in aluminum foil, and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month. (If frozen, thaw the manicotti in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days.) To bake, remove the parchment, replace the aluminum foil, and increase baking time to 1 to 1 1/4 hours.