Recipe - Julias Manicotti

1 pack Manicotti
(12 or so shells)

SAUCE
2 pound Tomatoes, crushed
(1 large can)
2 pound Tomatoes, whole
(1 large can)
4 tablespoon Tomato paste
6 Garlic cloves
(or less)
2 cup Onions, chopped
One half cup Olive oil
One half teaspoon Black pepper
2 Bay leaves
1 tablespoon Basil
1 tablespoon Oregano
One half teaspoon Tarragon
One fourth teaspoon Thyme
One fourth teaspoon Rosemary
One fourth teaspoon Red pepper flakes
Cayenne pepper,
to taste
1 teaspoon Parsley, preferably fresh,
but dry will do
1 ds Red wine, dry

FILLING
One half cup Parsley, chopped
1 pound Ricotta
2 Eggs
1 cup Mozzarella, shredded
One half cup Parmesan cheese, grated
One half cup Romano cheese, grated
One half teaspoon Black pepper
1 Garlic clove, crushed

MAKE SAUCE: Saute onions in large pot with olive oil over medium heat. Add
crushed garlic. Cook until onions start to brown. Add cans of tomatoes
along with paste, breaking any large chunks. Add in seasonings and red
wine. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 2030 minutes.

MAKE FILLING: mix filling ingredients in bowl, reserving about One half cup of
the shredded mozzarella to sprinkle on top.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook manicotti until they are al dente
(follow the instructions on the box). Drain and stuff each with filling
mixture. Cover baking pan with about One half inch of sauce, and arrange stuffed
shells on top. Cover with sauce and reserved mozzarella. Bake at 350
degrees F. for about 20 minutes, until cheese is nicely browned and sauce
is bubbling.

NOTES:

* This is my (American) recipe for stuffed manicotti shells. Perhaps it's
not authentic, but it's tasty. Yield: Serves 46.

* While I prefer to use true manicotti, regular pasta shells are easier to
stuff and it's okay to substitute. You can also cut each manicotti down one
side and rewrap it around the stuffing. This freezes well uncooked; cover
with plastic wrap and foil. Let it defrost in a 200 95 oven for an hour or
overnight in the refrigerator. The cheese mixture can be modified to suit
your tastes. Cottage cheese can be substituted for the ricotta.

: Difficulty: moderate.
: Time: 1 hour preparation, 20 minutes baking.
: Precision: approximate measurement OK.

: Julia Riseman
: Reed College, Portland, Oregon, USA
: tektronix!reed!julia

: Copyright (C) 1986 USENET Community Trust

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini