Baked manicotti dish is easy, cheap

Published 3:14 pm Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Baked pasta is a good choice for dinner parties on next-to-nothing budgets.

They’re easy to make and look impressive on the plate.

Manicotti is a favorite, mainly because the large, long pasta tubes stuffed with a ricotta cheese-based filling are delicious and easy to eat. They also lend themselves to neat and vegetable variations.

Spinach and ricotta manicotti

12ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, divided

10ounces chopped frozen spinach, thawed

2cups part-skim ricotta cheese

2egg yolks

1cup grated pecorino cheese

1cup grated Parmesan cheese

2tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

18-ounce box manicotti pasta tubes (about 14)

1/2tablespoon butter

4cups marinara

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.

Meanwhile, dice about a quarter of the mozzarella into small cubes, enough to produce about a cup. Place the diced cheese in a large bowl. Set aside. Cut the remaining mozzarella into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Set aside.

Place the thawed spinach at the center of a kitchen towel, then wrap the towel around it and squeeze it tightly over the sink to remove excess water. Continue squeezing until no more water runs out.

Unwrap the spinach and coarsely chop. Add to the bowl of cheese, then add the ricotta cheese, egg yolks, 1/2 cup each of the pecorino and Parmesan cheeses, parsley, and salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside.

Carefully add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions, or until cooked but still firm. Drain and arrange the cooked manicotti on a moist kitchen towel to prevent sticking.

Use the butter to lightly coat the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch or larger baking dish. Spread 1 cup of the marinara over the bottom.

Transfer the cheese and spinach mixture to a large zip-close plastic bag, and shut. Use scissors to snip off one corner of the bag, creating a hole about 1/2 inch around.

One at a time, hold each manicotti in one hand. Place the open corner of the plastic bag into one end of the manicotti and gently squeeze to fill the tube with cheese. Rotate the manicotti and fill the other side.

Arrange the filled manicotti in the prepared pan. They should be close, but not touching.

Spread the remaining sauce over the manicotti. Arrange the slice mozzarella over the manicotti, then sprinkle with the remaining grated pecorino and Parmesan cheeses.

Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and cheese looks completely melted. Remove the foil and continue baking an additional 5 to 7 minutes to get a deep golden color.

Let rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 789 calories; 362 calories from fat; 40 g fat (20 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 335 mg cholesterol; 56 g carbohydrate; 54 g protein; 3 g fiber; 2,199 mg sodium.