ezRecipe-Zee: Cooking Recipe: How to make Eggplant Manicotti With Ricotta, Asiago, And Spinach Filling

Eggplant Manicotti With Ricotta, Asiago, And Spinach Filling

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Date Added:	April 15, 2008
Calories:
Serves:	8
Prep. Time:	0:00
Category:	Main Dish, Restaurant, Copy Cat / Restaurant

Ingredients:

                    === SAUCE ===
3     tablespoons   olive oil
1     large         onion
3/4   cup           chopped celery
1     large         carrot
1/4   cup           chopped garlic
1/2   cup           dry red wine
1     can           crushed tomatoes with puree - (28 oz)
1     cup           chicken stock
                    = (or canned low-salt chicken broth)
1     cup           chopped fresh basil - (abt 2 lg bunches)
                    Salt
                    Freshly-ground black pepper
                    === MANICOTTI ===
1     pound         fresh or whole-milk ricotta cheese
1     cup           grated Asiago cheese - (abt 3 oz)
3/4   cup           chopped fresh baby spinach
1/2   teaspoon      ground nutmeg
1/8   teaspoon      cayenne pepper
                    Salt
                    Freshly-ground black pepper
1     large         egg
2     medium        eggplants
                    cut lengthwise into eight 1/3"-thk slices
1/4   cup           olive oil
1/4   cup           freshly-grated Parmesan cheese

Directions: one line for each direction. When saved the lines will be numbered.

For sauce: Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, carrot, and garlic; sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Add wine and cook 3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, stock, and basil; bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 30 minutes to blend flavors. Season with salt and pepper. Cool.
For manicotti: Place ricotta cheese in strainer set over large bowl. Let stand until excess liquid drains from cheese, about 2 hours. Transfer ricotta cheese to medium bowl. Stir in Asiago cheese, spinach, nutmeg, and cayenne. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in egg.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil 2 large baking sheets. Brush both sides of eggplant slices with olive oil; arrange on prepared sheets. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until eggplant slices are tender, about 13 minutes. Cool on sheets.
Place 1 eggplant slice on work surface. Place scant 2 tablespoons ricotta mixture near narrower end of eggplant slice. Roll up, enclosing filling. Repeat with remaining eggplant slices and filling.
Spread half of sauce over bottom of 13- by 9- by 2-inch glass baking dish. Arrange eggplant manicotti in single layer atop sauce. Spoon remaining sauce over. (Manicotti can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake manicotti until heated through, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.
This recipe yields 8 servings.
Comments: Here, eggplant stands in for the pasta.

Notes:
Recipe from Melanzane Ristorante in Naperville, IL , as published in the article "The New Ethnic Restaurant: Regional Italian" by David Brindley

Nutrition Facts not Available

Rating: ()

Added On: April 15, 2008

* Bon Appétit, September 2001