Three Cheese Manicotti Recipe

Three Cheese Manicotti Recipe

3 cups of tomato sauce, homemade is preferrable
4 slightly beaten big eggs
1 cup mozzarella, shredded (around 6 ozs.)
2/3 cup basil, chopped coarsely
2 cups of ricotta cheese (15 ozs.), fresh is preferrable
Salt
1 cup of water
1/2 tsp. pepper, ground freshly
1 cup flour (all-purpose)
Unsalted butter
2 tbsps. Parmesan cheese, grated freshly

On a big bowl, mix together a tsp. of salt, basil, pepper & mozzarella mixed with ricotta. Inside a food processor or blender, mix together flour, 1/2 tsp. of salt, eggs & water until mixture smoothens then place it into a bowl.

Heat well an 8-inch omelet or crepe pan on moderate high flame and butter it lightly then add about 2 tbsps. of batter and work quickly to swirl pan to be sure that the batter is evenly and thinly spread out.

Cook it until crepe top is quite dry & bottom turns light golden (1 min.). Flip it up and make sure the bottom is also light golden (20 secs. more).

Place crepes onto a plate then repeat the cooking process until all of your batter is used up. This recipe makes 16 crepes. Oven should be preheated to around 375′ F. On the bottom of a 3-qt. baking dish, spread around 1 cup of tomato sauce.

Place crepes onto a flat, clean surface. Place about 3 tbsps. of ricotta cheese filling in 1 line in the middle of each individual crepe. Roll crepes loosely then place them, with seam sides facing up, side by side into the prepared dish.

Evenly spread out 2 cups tomato sauce on the tops of manicottis then finish with a sprinkling of parmesan. Bake in the hot oven for about 15-20 mins. or just until sauce bubbles atop and manicotti is thoroughly heated. Serve them really hot.

This recipe serves 8.

To make it ahead: Uncooked manicotti could be stored overnight inside the refrigerator just add 15 mins. more in the baking process.