Manicotti
Manicotti are the Italian version of crepes filled with creamy ricotta mixture. The “pasta” or batter is similar to French crepes. You can buy fresh, high quality ricotta, but making it is very simple and worth trying.
Serves four

FOR THE “PASTA” (pastry or dough; similar word to the French, pate)
  • 1 large egg
  • 5 ounces flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup whole milk, plus more as needed to thin the batter
  • canola oil, to lightly grease pan 

FOR THE SAUCE
  • 2 T extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced (about ¾ cup)
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced 
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • pinch of cayenne or chili flakes 
  • 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE FILLING
  • 8-12 ounces fresh ricotta cheese (homemade recipe below)
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil    
  • 2 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
  • 6 ounces fresh spinach leaves (about 2 quarts loosely packed leaves)
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

TO ASSEMBLE
  • 2 cups marinara sauce
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

CREAMY HOMEMADE RICOTTA
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • ½ cup buttermilk
  • 3/8 teaspoon salt 

For “Pasta”
  1. Add the ingredients to the bowl of a blender. Blend, adding more milk if necessary, until batter is a thin, almost runny consistency. 
  2. Heat a nonstick 8-inch skillet over medium-low heat. Brush pan lightly with oil, if needed. Hold pan at an angle, and swirl pan as you pour in enough batter to coat bottom of skillet. Cook 30 to 45 seconds, flip and cook for 15 more seconds. Transfer to a flat dish or tray. 
  3. Repeat with remaining batter. You should have 8 to 10 "shells" by the end. 
For Sauce
  1. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. 
  2. Add the onion, and garlic and cook until soft and golden brown. 
  3. Add the oregano, cayenne (if using) and basil and cook for an additional 3 to 5 minutes. 
  4. Add the canned tomatoes with their juices and bring to a boil, stirring often. 
  5. Add vinegar and lower the heat to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. With a potato masher, break up the tomatoes to achieve a sauce-like consistency. 
For Filling
  1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. 
  2. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until it starts to soften, about 1 minute. 
  3. Add spinach. Stir and sauté until wilted, about 5 minutes. Transfer spinach to a large bowl to cool.
  4. When cool, squeeze excess liquid from spinach. Finely chop spinach and return it to the bowl. Add ricotta, egg and parmesan. Stir to combine, season to taste with salt and pepper.
Assembly
  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. 
  2. Spread ½ cup of marinara sauce into the bottom of a 9-inch by 13-inch casserole dish. 
  3. Lay pasta crepes on a flat surface and spoon an even amount of filling in a long strip down the center of each one. 
  4. Roll crepes closed, and place seam-side down into the casserole dish. 
  5. Evenly pour remaining sauce over filled crepes. 
  6. Sprinkle remaining grated cheese over top and bake 20 minutes, until golden and bubbly. Serve immediately.

TO MAKE THE RICOTTA
  1. Combine ingredients in a 4-quart pot. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Meanwhile, line a sieve or fine mesh strainer with a few layers of cheesecloth and place it over a deep bowl or pot.
  2. Once curds begin to separate from the whey (liquid temperature will be between 175º and 200º), remove from heat. let sit for 15-20 minutes. Gently spoon or ladle the curds into the cheesecloth-lined strainer.
  3. Let curds sit in cheesecloth to drain liquid 15 to 30 minutes, depending on how creamy you want the ricotta. Store in refrigerator up to two days.