sauce... I jar Rao's Marinara sauce
I also discovered that at Costco they sell a brand called
Premium Organic Paesana tomato and basil...
2 jars for $6.99....a steal and just as good as Rao's... 1 large can of Cento petite diced tomatoes (or any good Italian brand) 2 dashes of garlic salt 2 teaspoons of sugar _______________________________________ meatballs.... 1 pound of ground chuck 2 eggs 1/2 cup of dried Italian bread crumbs 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 cup of fresh bread crumbs... I actually use a hot dog bun put through my food processor kosher salt and fresh ground pepper I love the smell of the McCormick Grinders mixed peppercorns.. water as needed to bind mixture together... I use about 1/4 cup... heat a large dutch oven or any heavy pot with a lid when hot add a few dashes of olive oil when oil is hot add your meatballs... brown lightly then add the above sauce, diced tomatoes, the garlic salt (husband hates real garlic but you can certainly use that instead of the garlic salt) and the sugar... simmer for a few hours.... ________________________________ Making the manicotti shells..... 1 cup of milk 1 cup of flour 1 egg 1 teaspoon of kosher salt beat the egg with the milk....add the salt and then a little at a time whisk in the flour until there are no lumps... Heat a flat skillet or if you have one use a French Crepe Pan... Sur La Table sells one for $15.96 - 19.96 de Buyer Blue Steel Crepe Pans... well worth the money....Anyhoo... I spray the pan lightly with Olive Oil spray and I add a touch of butter for taste... have a cookie sheet ready and sheets of parchment to place the crepes as you are making them... I use the parchment so they don't stick to one another.... Plus I just love parchment paper... I fell in love with it when I realized how cheaply Costco sells it for... Using a ladle work quickly by putting the batter....which will be very thin...on to the hot pan....swirl around to make your circle. I always screw up the first one never remembering how to turn them over. Using a spatula and a fork after a minute flip it over and cook it about another minute on the other side. They should be slightly brown....very slight. This batter amount made 8 manicotti... _____________________________________ The filling.... 1 8oz. container of good quality Ricotta cheese 1 egg.... a handful of grated Parmesan cheese.... 1 tablespoon of minced parsley (dried or fresh) Or... I used a big handful of fresh spinach that I rough chopped.. salt and pepper... Mix well....then place a good amount on each crepe... These are so much easier to fill because you have an open surface to work with. Place the cheese in the center then take each side and fold it towards the center. Put some of the sauce in the bottom of a baking dish... place the manicotti seam side up on top of the sauce... add a little more sauce on top and some more Parmesan cheese... I also used some grated Asiago....gives it a nice bite... _______________________________ Bake at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes... let it set up for about 15-20 minutes before serving.... ________________ I like to add an extra sauce to serve with the pasta Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and add 1/2 pint of heavy whipping cream....Let that come to a simmer then add about a cup of grated Parmesan and some white pepper....I use regular fresh ground pepper.....and I added Asiago to the sauce also... Add more cheese until you get the thickness you prefer... Drizzle the Alfredo Sauce over the Manicotti.... Then sit back and wonder how many pounds you just gained.... Bon Appetit from Atlanta Georgia!!
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