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Recipe for "manicotti-1"

NAME

     MANICOTTI-1 - An American version of stuffed shells
     This is my recipe for  stuffed  manicotti  shells.   Perhaps
     it's not authentic, but it's tasty.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4-6)

          SAUCE
     1 kg      crushed tomatoes (1 large can)
     1 kg      whole tomatoes (1 large can)
     70 g      tomato paste
     4-6        garlic cloves
     300 g     chopped onions
     12 cl     olive oil
     2.5 ml    black pepper
     2         bay leaves
     15 ml     basil
     15 ml     oregano
     2.5 ml    tarragon
     1 ml      thyme
     1 ml      rosemary
     1 ml      red pepper flakes
               cayenne pepper, to taste
     5 ml      parsley, preferably fresh, but dry will do
     dash      dry red wine
          FILLING
     20 g      chopped parsley, fresh is much better
     500 g     ricotta
     2         eggs
     130 g     shredded mozzarella
     90 g      grated Parmesan cheese
     90 g      grated Romano cheese
     2.5 ml    black pepper
     1         garlic clove, crushed
          MANICOTTI
     1 box     manicotti (12 or so shells)

PROCEDURE

          (1)  Make sauce:  Saute onions in large pot with  olive
               oil  over  medium heat.  Add crushed garlic.  Cook
               until onions start to brown.
          (2)  Add cans of tomatoes along  with  paste,  breaking
               any large chunks.
          (3)  Add in seasonings and red wine.  Simmer,  stirring
               occasionally, for 20-30 minutes.
          (4)  Make filling: mix  filling  ingredients  in  bowl,
               reserving  60  g  of  the  shredded  mozzarella to
               sprinkle on top.
          (5)  Preheat oven to 175 deg. C.
          (6)  Cook manicotti until they are al dente (follow the
               instructions  on  the box).  Drain, and stuff each
               with filling mixture.
          (7)  Cover baking pan with 1 cm of sauce,  and  arrange
               stuffed  shells  on  top.   Cover  with  sauce and
               reserved mozzarella.
          (8)  Bake at 175 deg. C for  about  20  minutes,  until
               cheese is nicely browned and sauce is bubbling.

NOTES

     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 plas-
     tic wrap and foil.  Let it defrost in a 95 deg. C  oven  for
     an  hour  or overnight in the refrigerator.  The cheese mix-
     ture can be modified to suit your  tastes.   Cottage  cheese
     can be substituted for the ricotta.

RATING

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

CONTRIBUTOR

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