Manicotti

I got this recipe in the sixties from an Italian boyfriend.  His mother would send us recipes from time to time as well as relationship advice.  The recipes and the advice were always excellent.

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Marvelous Manicotti
Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
1 hr 25 mins
 
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 6
Author: Jayne
Ingredients
Crepe Batter (makes 16 – 20)
  • 1 Cup of flour
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 ½ cups of milk
  • 3 Tbs butter , melted
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • avocado oil
  • Put all the ingredients into a blender and blend for 30 seconds. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. In the meantime , make the filling.
Filling
  • 16 Ounces of Ricotta , whole or skim
  • 8 ounces of mozzarella , grated
  • 1 egg
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1/3 cup finely minced parsley
  • ¼ tsp nutmeg
  • pepper to taste
  • Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Marinara
  • 4 Ounces of tomato paste
  • 1 yellow onion diced
  • 6 Tbs of minced garlic (4 cloves)
  • 6 – 8 cups of peeled and seeded tomatoes , either fresh or canned if necessary.
  • 1 bunch of basil without the stems , chopped.
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
Instructions
  1. Combine the chopped onions and olive oil in a 2 quart stainless steel sauce pan and sauté over medium heat until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and gently sauté for another 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and sauté for 4 – 5 minutes more. Add the tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover, turn the heat down to low and continue cooking for another 20 minutes.
Assembly

  1. Brush a 6 inch sauté pan with oil. Heat until the surface begins to shimmer. Pour a 2 – 3 inch puddle of crespelle (crepe) batter in the center and rotate the pan on a tilt so that you have spread out the batter into a thin “pancake.” When the edges begin to turn brown, flip the crespelle over and brown on the other side. Continue making the rest of them until all the batter is used.

  2. Spread one cup of marinara sauce evenly over the bottom of a baking dish.
  3. With a tablespoon, place 2 – 3 tablespoons of filling 1 inch from the edge of a crespelle in the shape of a log. Roll the pastry up and place it seam side down on top of the marinara sauce. Continue this process until you have used up all the crespelle. Pour t he remaining marinara over the top and sprinkle with the parmesean
  4. Bake covered in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes.