Manicotti

Manicotti
My grandmother's recipe, which she got from her mother-in-law

Note

This recipe makes about 13 manicotti. Three to four manicotti are usually enough for one serving. 

This recipe can be easily doubled for six to eight people - or more. My aunt used to put the filled unsauced manicotti on top of cornmeal-strewn sheet pans in the freezer. Once frozen, she would pop the unsauced manicotti one by one into freezer bags for easy storage until she was ready to bake them.  

 

I use Melissa Clarke’s Simple Tomato Sauce for this recipe.  

Special Equipment

A 6 to 8-inch skillet (This is the only time I use a non-stick pan)

A 1-1/2 or 2-inch ladle (depending on the diameter of the bottom of your skillet)

 

Filling

If you chill the filling first, it's easier to roll up the pancakes because then the filling doesn't spread. One hour is usually enough; two is better, and you can make it a day in advance.

1 15-ounce container of whole milk ricotta (I like Polly-O Whole Milk, or I make my own.) 

4 large eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons heavy cream (a suggestion I got from Alison Roman)

85g Parmesan cheese, grated

¼- to ½-pound mozzarella  (You can use packaged "dry" mozzarella for this or "fresh." I grate it by hand on the large holes of a box grater.)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Black pepper to taste – be generous

A tiny amount of grated nutmeg or ground cinnamon (Nutmeg is more sophisticated, but Aunt Rita used cinnamon so I do too.)

A little salt to taste, keeping in mind that the Parmesan cheese is salty

 

Mix the filling ingredients together. Start with the ¼ pound of mozzarella, and only add more if the filling is too wet.

 

Pancakes

 

The pancake ratio can be almost infinitely increased. For the filling made with one 15-ounce container of ricotta, which usually makes enough for four people, I make the pancake batter out of

 

2 large eggs

126g all-purpose flour (I use King Arthur)

1 cup water

 

Whir the ingredients in a blender, and let sit for at least one hour to settle down before making the pancakes.

 

Put a small amount of a neutral oil (I use expeller-pressed grapeseed) in a small dish or saucer.

 

Dip a paper towel into the oil, and swipe it lightly over the bottom of an 8-inch skillet. Heat the pan over medium heat until hot.

 

Make pancakes using approximately 2 tablespoons of batter per pancake. The exact amount depends on the diameter of the bottom of the pan you are cooking them in, which can differ from 8-inch pan to 8-inch pan. For the 8-inch pan I use, a 1-1/2-ounce ladle portions it out perfectly.  

Pour the batter in the hot pan, and immediately swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. When the pancake is cooked on one side, slide it onto a plate with the cooked side up. I don't cook the second side because my grandmother didn't, but I have a cousin who does so do what works best for you by trial and error. The pancakes can be stacked one on top of another. Keep working until all the batter is used up. 

Prepare the Baking Pan

Lightly oil a half sheet or quarter sheet pan depending on how much you are making. Coat the pan with a thin coat of whatever tomato sauce you will be using.  

 

Assembly

Take a pancake with the cooked side up. You will put the (best if chilled) filling on the cooked side. Put about 2-½ tablespoons of the filling onto the crepe, and roll it up like a cigar, not too tight as it will puff up a little when it cooks. Place it seam side down in the prepared half sheet pan. 

 

When the pan is filled with stuffed pancakes - now manicotti - put a thin coating of tomato sauce over everything, and place it in a 325°F oven, and bake for 30 to 45 minutes. You want the manicotti hot enough so the cheese inside melts. Serve as is or with a little more sauce on top. 

Plain Pancake

Stuffed But Not Sauced Manicotti