Manicotti
Once it became possible for us to find kosher ricotta cheese in central
Illinois, I started to prepare many dishes such as stuffed manicotti. Although
I've tasted plenty of kosher lasagna and other pasta dishes with cottage
cheese substituted for ricotta, I think this is a mistake - it just does not
do justice to the dish. So, try to find kosher ricotta, Parmesan, and
mozzarella, and enjoy some authentic Italian food. If you live in a small
community where you cannot find the kosher
commercial ricotta on a regular basis, there is always the possibility of
making it yourself from milk and a starter (a bit of some existing ricotta
that you've been able to buy in a major Jewish community). Stuffed manicotti
freezes quite well. I package it in single serving portions in plastic
containers and reheat it in the microwave for after-school snacks.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces Manicotti shells
- Filling
- 1/2 lb.mozzarella cheese
- 2 lb. ricotta cheese
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, in two portions
- pepper, salt, parsley
- Sauce
- 26 oz. crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp. dried basil
Oven Temp: 350°, 25-30 minutes
Yield: one 9x13 pan
Cook Manicotti shells for 8-10 minutes. Mix filling ingredients, reserving
half the Parmesan to sprinkle on top of filled manicotti.
Drain, stuff, lay in rows in the 9x13 dish. Pour sauce over all the filled
manicotti.
Sprinkle reserved Parmesan cheese on top. Bake, covered for 25-30 minutes, then
remove cover, and brown a bit.