10-5…Manicotti

I forgot to take the photo before starting to serve..


Rummaging through the freezer I found a tub of “Sunday” gravy and some spinach-ricotta filling leftover from the ravioli adventure. Remembering an article in a Cooks Illustrated periodical on using no boil lasagna for the manicotti I decided to give it a try.

Rather than the usual ground beef filling I struck out on my own, using chicken and spinach, combined with a variety of cheeses, as well as the ravioli filling.

INGREDIENTS:

Chicken breast
Olive oil
Garlic
Fresh spinach
egg
Parmesan, mozzarella, and cottage cheese (No ricotta on hand)
No boil lasagna

PROCESS:

Saute the chicken in olive oil with garlic. Before it is finished add the spinach and cook down. Remove, chop coarsely, then pulse in food processer to a workable paste. Place in a bowl and mix in the cheeses, the egg, and the chopped basil. Salt and pepper to taste.

Place a layer of the sauce in a 9x13 baking dish.

Place the lasagna sheets in boiling water for several minutes until soft…about 4-5 minutes). Remove, and place the sheet on a flat surface and add the filling then roll carefully and place in a baking dish with the seam side down. Cover the rolls with another layer of sauce, grated parmesan, and mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes. Remove the foil, add more cheese and place back in oven for about 5 minutes.

Remove and allow to sit for 15 minutes before serving.



COMMENTS:

Not as good as mom’s, but it did bring back some powerful culinary memories.

Our neighbor Keyth joined us ( his wife is out of town) and brought a dish of the ravioli he made today. I gotta tell you…if I wasn’t me, I would be envious of me.