Ingredients:
1 (8 ounce) package manicotti shells
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 table spoon minced garlic
1 egg
2 table spoons dried basil
2 (26 ounce) jars pasta sauce
Preparation:
Manicotti was always my favorite dish to make with my mom. The filling was put together by hand. Add the 2 cups of ricotta cheese into a very deep bow, and the 4 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese. This was the fun part. Cracking the egg. I always tried to crack the egg skilfully with one hand like my mom. She eventually made me stop because i always managed to get the shells into the mixture. "Oops." Mixing all the things together with your hands, feeling the egg in-between your fingers. After everything is mixed my mom would make me go to our backyard to the garden to retrieve the basil. Add the basil, and garlic.
We always made this dish on my birthdays, but this year was special. It was my 16th birthday! My mom and i were always in the kitchen cooking. "What would you like for this special occasion?" My mom asked cheerfully. I knew what i wanted, no doubt. "Manicotti of course!" I said with enthusiasm. I'm pretty sure she didn't even have to ask that question, in my mind it was a no brainer. When the filling is done all that is left to do is drain the shells into a colander. Be very careful, the scolding hot water may splash on you! I hear a truck pull into the drive way. I look out the window, and it is my uncle. The first thing he does is sit down on his personal recliner. Everyone knew not to sit in it. I hear the T.V turn on to Nascar, my uncle is a very big Nascar fan. "Taylor happy birthday!" He shouted. "Thank you so much!" I replied.
When you get done draining the shells put them back into the bowl. Place the bowl next to the filling. Grab a large spoon, put it into the large mixing bowl. My mom grabbed aluminum foil out of the cabinet covering the whole counter. She spread out all the shells on the aluminum. I grabbed the spoon starting to fill each, and individual shell. It was a very messy job, but its worth it. I promise. Preheat the oven to 375*. Put all the shells into the pan, if you have a lot of shells then try not to space them out as much as you can. Put the tomato sauce on top. Add more cheese to taste.
This is my memory of making manicotti. This is hands down the best dish i have ever consumed. It is very near, and dear to my heart. It is not very time consuming, but it is worth making it. I hope one day you'll be able to make this dish!
