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Manicotti Shells

You should make these at some point in your life. This recipe came from my mother-in-law, Frances Rao, and should be made on a griddle (like the kind you use for a lot of pancakes) or use a small teflon fry pan. The batter is thin, like a crepe batter. They can be stacked and they don't stick together. I fill them with the traditional ricotta filling that I use for ravioli but any type of filling will do. This is a great company dish since you can make it weeks ahead of time and freeze it.

Ingredients

For the Shells

  • 1 cup water
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 tsp. salt

For the filling

  • 2 pounds Ricotta cheese
  • 2 eggs
  • chopped parsley
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 3/4 cup grated cheese
  • Spaghetti sauce

Instructions

For the shells

  • Mix all ingredients in a blender and chill for a few hours.
  • Add a little more water if needed to make a thin batter. I use approximately two T. for each shell (a large serving spoon works well).
  • Quickly put that amount on a hot griddle. Immediately use the back of the spoon in a circular motion to form a circle about 5-6 inches. Repeat working quickly since these cook very fast.
  • The edges start to curl up when cooked. Turn and cook another 30 seconds. These should not be browned.
  • I don't know how many these make, since I never counted them. I just use up all the mix.

For the filling

  • Mix all ingredients. If it seems thick, add another egg. I don't usually measure the cheese; it?s an individual thing.
  • Put about 2 T. of filling about a third from the edge of pancake and roll up, not too tight, they expand.
  • Put about 1 cup of your favorite spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 13 x 9? pan that has been sprayed with Pam.
  • Arrange filled crepes in a single layer, top with more sauce and a sprinkling of cheese.
  • Bake in a preheated oven 350, covered for 20-30 minutes till hot. They do expand some when they cook.
  • Serve with more warm sauce and cheese.
  • For a variation I add one 10 oz. package of thawed, chopped frozen spinach. Wring in out in some paper towels to remove all the water. Proceed as above.

Notes

For the shells: If you tear one or put a hole in it while spreading it, don't panic simply add a bit of batter and continue cooking.