Baked Manicotti Shells

One of the many details I loved in The Sopranos was how American-born-but-Italian-bred characters would refer to their favorite foods by shortened names: manicotti was manicot; procuitto, proshute. These diminutives made what are to most of us lavish restaurant dishes into something served at home.

In keeping with that sensibility, here’s a recipe for manicot that’s both rich and simple, ideal for family celebrations during the holiday season. An added plus is that manicot can be baked ahead of time, then easily transported to your vegetarian cousin’s house.

Adapted from Leone's Italian Cookbook (1967)

Ingredients:

Pasta:

Two large boxes of pasta shells (I use Barilla Jumbo Shells)

Sauce:

Prepare a double recipe of Veggie Spaghetti Sauce found on the Kitchen Tango post dated
March 12, 2007. Let sauce cool and set aside.

Filling:

¾ cup ricotta cheese

¾ cup mozzarella, diced

2 tablespoons butter, cubed

3 eggs, slightly beaten

2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese (plus extra for garnish)

½ teaspoon salt

dash course-ground pepper

Process:

In a medium-size ceramic bowl, combine the ricotta, mozzarella and butter. Beat the eggs separately, then gently toss into the cheese-butter mix. Sprinkle with spices and the parmesan cheese, stir again and set aside.

Prep the large pasta shells according to the directions on the box. When shells are al dente, drain and put in a large buttered dish where they’ll keep reasonably moist while you work with them.

Butter an 8” x 12” Pyrex dish and spread it with about a two cups of tomato sauce. Gingerly pick up each shell and fill with two spoonfulls of the cheese mix. Eyeball what seems right; the shell should be plump, but not bursting. Line the filled shells about a quarter inch apart in the baking dish. I’ve gotten in as many as thirty manicotti into a long casserole. If there’s more, grab another dish, coat with tomato sauce, and fill with stuffed shells. (Hey, there’s no such thing as too much manicotti. If you don’t want it, a neighbor, friend or nearby working parent will).

Top each shell with a large spoonful of veggie sauce and sprinkle with more grated parmesan. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes in preheated 350-degree oven. Remove and serve at once with steamed green beans, garlic bread and Chianti. For dessert, have something simple like tangerines with biscotti or macaroons and a round of strong coffee.

Manicotti To Go:

If you plan to transport your manicotti to another holiday venue, follow these directions:

Let the casserole cool to room temperature. Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate up to a day.

To reheat, keep covered and place in a 250-oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Cheese Note: Skim or Regular?

I’m all for cutting calories as along as flavor doesn’t suffer! I’ve prepared this dish with skim ricotta and can’t taste the difference. But there is a significant difference, I think, between skim and regular mozzarella. The first tastes pale and wimpy; the later, rich and mellow. If manicot is a dish you prepare for special occasions, why fret over fat content? Go for the real thing and add a mile to your walk the next day.

As for the parmesan, it is far tastier and worth the money to buy a hunk of the authentic stuff and grate it yourself. If you don’t use it all up for the manicot, be lavish with the parmesan on your pasta the following week. While ladies age gracefully, cheese does not.