Cheese-Stuffed Manicotti
Ingredients:
Cheese Filling
- 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella cheese (1/2 inch diced)
- 2 pounds
ricotta cheese
- 1/4 pound prosciutto, 1/4 inch diced
- 2 eggs
- 1/2
cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- salt and freshly ground black
pepper
- 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
- 3 cups tomato sauce
(meat or marinara)
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Directions:
Filling:
-
Combine all the filling ingredients
and mix thoroughly.
Manicotti:
-
Heat 4
to 6 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large pot; add 2 tablespoons
oil to help prevent pasta from sticking.
-
Add half of the
manicotti and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or until not quite al dente. Stir
occasionally with a long-handled fork.
-
Hold a strainer over the
pot and use a slotted spoon to remove 1 or 2 manicotti at a time from
the boiling water, placing them in the strainer. Shake manicotti free of
water.
-
Spread a clean kitchen towel on the counter. Place the
manicotti side by side on the towel, which will absorb all the remaining
moisture. (The shells must be completely dry before stuffing. Repeat
until all shells are cooked. Cool.
-
Generously butter a baking
dish, 13 x 9 inches.
-
Fill each shell with some of the stuffing,
letting a little of the stuffing come out on either end. This is best
done with a pastry tube and a large nozzle; otherwise use a regular
teaspoon.
-
Lay the stuffed manicotti side by side in the buttered
dish and surround them with any manicotti shells you may not have
sufficient stuffing for. Pour half the tomato sauce over the
shells and sprinkle with 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.
-
Bake in a preheated
moderate oven for 15-20 minutes. Heat remaining tomato sauce to
serve separately.
-
Serve with additional Parmesan cheese.
Italian Recipes