Source: Gourmet Today, Houghton Mifflin Harcort, 2009
Ingredients
For Sauce
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 (28 oz) cans whole tomatoes in juice, drained, juice reserved, and finely chopped
- 1/2 c water
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 c chopped fresh basil
For Crespelle
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 c water
- 1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp butter, melted
For Filling
- 2 pounds whole-milk ricotta
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 c finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 1/3 c chopped fresh flat-leaft parsley
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
For Assembly
- 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella
Instructions
Make the Sauce
- Heat oil in a 5 to 6 quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking.
- Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic and cook, stirring until golden, about 1 minute.
- Add tomatoes, with juice, water, sugar, and salt, bring to a simmer, and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 30 minutes. Stir in basil and remove from heat.
Make the Crespelle
- Break up eggs with a wooden spoon in a medium bowl.
- Stir in water (don’t beat) until combined. Sift in flour and salt and stir until just combined.
- Force through a medium-mesh sieve into another bowl.
- Lightly brush an 8-inch nonstick skillet with melted butter and heat over moderate heat until hot but not smoking.
- Ladle about 1/4 cup batter into skillet, tilting and rotating skillet to coat bottom, then pour excess batter back into bowl. (If batter sets before spread, turn heat down.) Cook until just set and underside is lightly browned, about 30 seconds. Invert crespella onto a clean kitchen towel to cool completely. Make at least 11 more.
Make the filling
- Stir together all ingredients in a bowl.
Assemble
- Put a rack in middle of oven and preheat to 425 F.
- Cut mozzarella lengthwise into 1/4 inch thick sticks.
- Spread 2 cups sauce in a 13-by-9 inch baking dish. Spread 1 cup in an 8-inch square baking dish.
- Place 1 crespella, browned side up on a work surface. Spread about 1/4 cup filling in a line across center and top with a mozzarella strip. Fold over top and bottom to enclose filling, leaving ends open, and place crosswise in large baking dish, seam side down. Fill baking dishes by repeating process. (8 in large, 4 in small).
- Spread 1 cup sauce over large manicotti pan; 1/2 cup sauce over small manicotti pan.
- Cover dishes tightly with foil and bake until sauce is bubbling and filling is hot, 15 to 20 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes.
Number of servings (yield): 6
Meal type: supper
Culinary tradition: Italian