not your momma's manicotti

so here's what you need to know, this ain't yo' momma's manicotti.

while i am on the subject, i will lay it out now.. ask yourself, are you someone that has a favorite excuse?  you know, one that trumps all else.  these change over time.. from "i did my homework, but the dog ate it :( " to "i am going to mow the lawn as soon as i finish my science project".. and so on.  the school theme was a popular one for me growing up.

reason for lack of blogging in the past month.  "grad school is a b3@$t."  (momma's don't be fooled.)

while piling up my summer brain with research tasks, things, and an occasional night out (congrats Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Huey!), i have learned that i have been learning something in the past five years of my college career.  what did i learn?  well.. stuff.

stuff #1.. baking is a science, and more frequent attempts lead to more fluffy sweets and less flat things in the oven.  stuff #2.. learning how to handle situations with a landlord that lead to (a) happy gardens, (b) a swim-able pool, and (c) HVAC systems that work when it's 90+ degrees.

so yea, i'm feeling better about this being in school thing.  who said having faith in intuition is such a bad habit?

speaking of habits, listening to music, there's one.  hello arcade fire!  i'm taking the blame for this one.  my friends are generally great, double-outstanding people, but.. this cat coulda come out of the bag a little sooner don't you think?!  whew.  let's just say that Sprawl II blew my mind.  and it's a good thing that it did because tonight, i slaved perfecting the marinara in this manicotti.

enjoy responsibly,

the printer friendlier version

not your momma's manicotti
adapted from Giada
serves two, 60 minutes

marinara sauce: (makes just over 2 cups)
60 minutes

2 tbsp olive oil
4 clove garlic, diced
8 medium tomatoes
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
2 tbsp basil, chopped
2 tbsp oregano, chopped
1 bay leaf

start by blanching tomatoes in boiling water for about one minute, remove and dip in ice batch immediately.  cut shallow cross on bottom of tomato will ease peeling.  peel and seed tomatoes, then diced petitely and add to medium sized wok with olive oil and garlic heated over medium heat.

add remaining fresh or dried ingredients on medium heat for 10 minutes, then reduce to simmer for 30-40 minutes time.  sauce only gets better with time.

manicotti:
55 minutes

2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb zucchini and portabellas, sliced only moderately thin
salt and fresh ground black pepper
6 manicotti, about 1/2 pack
1/2 (15-oz) container whole-milk ricotta (you can make your own :)
1 1/2 c. mozzarella, shredded
1/2 c. parmesan, grated
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
2 clove garlic, diced
1 tbsp butter, cut into small cubes

start by preparing a baking sheet for manicotti to cool on, using a tablespoon of olive oil to 'grease'.  cook manicotti with boiling salted water until slightly soft, but still firm to the bite - approx 5 minutes.  drain and transfer pasta to baking sheet to cool.

combine ricotta, 1/2 to 1 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/4 c. parmesan and parsley in medium bowl.  add one clove garlic, salt, and pepper to taste, then mix.

preheat oven to 350 degrees.

brush remaining olive oil on medium baking pan (i used about an 8"x8" pan).  spoon in 1/4 of total marinara sauce on bottom of the pan.  stuff cheese mixture into cooled/cooling pasta.  arrange pasta in pan in a single layer, pour remaining sauce over pasta and add butter randomly to pan.  cover with remaining mozzarella and parmesan, saving some for garnish if desired.  bake manicotti uncovered until sauce is bubbling, about 30-35 minutes.

while baking, saute portabellas and zucchini in olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper and herbs to taste.  this saute should be over medium heat to just cook vegetables through - test with a fork.

remove manicotti from oven, cool and serve split-style on plate and serve portabella mix in between.  garnish to desire, enjoy.