Grandma Carroccio's Baked Manicotti

Submitted by Michelle Maggs and Maria Salvatore

Although I never know my paternal grandmother and namesake, Josephine Morello Carroccio, I had the pleasure of meeting her best friend, Mrs. Caiola, on a trip to Little York, New Jersey in 1967. For some reason, I was the only girl on that trip, going there to visit Uncle Sam with my father and the “little boys.” Mrs. Caiola must have taken pity on me, spending a week with the guys who were happy to catch frogs in the creek, climb trees, and play quoits all day. She told me that I needed to learn how to cook like my grandmother and planned for us a day in the kitchen. She was incredibly kind and gentle, and I imagined she must be a lot like grandma, who took great pride in her culinary talents. This is what I learned to bake that summer day. My sister Maria has used this recipe often over the years - this has become a staple “special occasion” dish for the Salvatore family. It’s worth the work, there’s nothing homemade manicotti.

Ingredients for SAUCE

1/4 cup of olive oil
1 cup of finely chopped onion
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 can (3 oz.) of Italian tomatoes, undrained
1 can (6 oz.) of tomato paste
2 sprigs of parsley
1 tbsp. of salt
2 tsp. of sugar
1 tsp. of dried oregano leaves
1 tsp. of dried basil leaves
1/4 tsp. of pepper
1 1/2 cups of water

Ingredients for Shells

5 eggs
1 1/4 cups of unsifted flour
1/4 tsp. of salt
1 1/4 cups of water
1 tsp. of butter

Ingredients for Filling

2 lbs. of ricotta cheese
1 package (8 oz.) of mozzarella cheese, diced
1/3 cup of grated parmesan cheese (plus 2 tbsp. of grated parmesan cheese)
2 eggs
1 tbsp. of chopped parsley
1 tsp. of salt
1/4 tsp. of pepper

Directions

1. Make the sauce

   1. Heat olive oil in a 6 qt. kettle, sauté onion and garlic until golden brown for about 5 minutes

   2. Add tomatoes (lightly blended in a blender) and remaining sauce ingredients

   3. Mix well and bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and let simmer, stirring occasionally for at least one hour

2. Make the shells

   1. Cook chells in a lightly buttered skillet much the same way you would make pancakes, only much thinner (or use a crepe maker)

   2. In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients for shells except the butter

   3. With portable mixer, beat mixture until smooth

   4. Pour batter into a shallow dish

   5. Heat skillet or crepe maker, then lightly coat with butter

   6. For heated crepe maker, dip the pan upside down into the batter, flip upright and wait until the light on the crepe maker indicates that the shell is done

   7. To remove the shell from crepe maker, it may help to loosen the edges with a knife

   8. Turn the shells inside out on a plate; between each shell place a piece of waxed paper

   9. Continue until all the batter is used up

3. Make filling for shells

   1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

   2. In a large bowl, combine all filling ingredients, mixing with a wooden spoon until well-blended

   3. Spoon some sauce into bottom of two 9x13 inch baking dishes

   4. Place about 1/4 cup of filling in the center of each shell and roll up

   5. Place shells seam side down, in a single layer, in dishes

   6. Cover with remaining sauce and sprinkle remaining 2 tbsp. parmesan cheese

   7. Bake in oven for about 30-40 minutes or until bubbly

Makes 8-10 services

Have you made this recipe? Share your tips, tricks, and stories in the comments below!