G-Gram Virga’s Manicotti

(ask questions if you have them, it’s a family recipe and is a guideline, techniques are passed down so it’s hard to explain) This recipe for our 2 adults, a 6 yr old and a toddler yeilds a make one/freeze one.

Manicotti Shells
2 eggs
1 Cup flour
1 Cup water

Mix & beat ingredients with fork (texture should be a very thin pancake batter)
Heat 4″ non-stick fry pan on medium heat
Use a TEENY amount of butter (really teeny!) in the pan
Spoon a couple tablespoons of batter in and roll pan to coat.  Should be about the thickness of a crepe; add water or flour to batter to adjust.  The first shell is never right
Flip when about a half-dollar sized portion of the center is still wet (20-30 seconds), shimmy pan until shell loosens off pan. Flip out onto wax paper.  These freeze well when separated in layers.

Filling
1 pint ricotta
1 egg
1/4 cup REAL parmasean
1 Cup Mozarella
Chopped Spinach at your discretion (even if you hate it, use a teensy bit for color, hubby hates cooked spinach but can’t taste it in this)
Mix all ingredients, saving a little mozarella for later

Sauce
1 Large can Tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
2 cloves garlic
1 small onion
bit of Olive oil
Italian Seasoning (to taste)
Sweet Basil (to taste)
Bay Leaf (to taste)
Oregano (to taste)

Sauteé garlic and onion in olive oil
Add paste and cook 1 minute
Add 1 paste can of water, can of tomatoes, Italian Seasoning, Bay Leaf, Sweet Basil, and Oregano
Simmer all day if you have it
If you opt for italian sausage or my favorite, spicy breakfast sausage meatballs, brown while sauteéing the garlic and onions and leave in sauce while simmering

Spoon a little sauce into bottom of baking dish (whole recipe should fit in a 13×9, make1/freeze1 will do 2 8×8s)
Spoon ricotta into shells and roll closed
Place seam side down
Spoon sauce over top
Sprinkle mozzarella over top
Bake at 350 for about 20-25 minutes = until hot (more like 45 when frozen)

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