Thanksgiving 2012 Manicotti

Another year, another Thanksgiving without turkey, and certainly not to be missed.  Truth be told, I was always partial to the leftovers, day after (white meat specific), so it is a pleasure to be able to have something different on Thanksgiving without the stress of cooking all day.   This year, I whipped up a new recipe, using sweet potatoes, chanterelles and more.  It turned out divine, and was great for "used food" as well.   With the exception of the cheese part of the filling, this can be made ahead of time, allowing ease for prep, and is so noted after each part of the recipe.

Roasted veggie ingredients

·         2 garnet sweet potatoes (approx 1 pound), peeled, cut into cubes

·         1/3 lb chanterelles, chopped coarsely

·         ¼ yellow pepper cut into match sticks

·         2 large shallots, chopped

·         ¼ fennel bulb (remove core), sliced thin

·         4 cloves of garlic, smashed to release flavors

·         1 Italian sausage (since we are veg-heads I used Tofurky Italian Sausage)

·         1 teaspoon sea salt

·         olive oil to drizzle the veggies for roasting

·         Marsala wine

Roast above veggies at 400 for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, halfway through, drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of Marsala wine, remove, cool.

Note - this can be done ahead of time (a day or so)

Cheese filling ingredients

·         10 ounces of ricotta cheese

·         1 large egg plus 1 egg white

·         ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan (can use Tillamook Italian blend)

·         ¼ cup gorgonzola cheese

·         Fresh sage to taste

·         1 teaspoon sea salt

Place roasted veggies and above cheese filling ingredients into a food processor.  Blenderize, to remove large lumps (in order to “squeeze” into manicotti shells).  If extra moisture is required, drizzle in a bit of olive oil or Marsala wine. Note - the sausage can be extra challenging if not chopped up well enough.

Bechamel Sauce

·         3 cups milk (this year I used organic non-fat and half and half combined), heat to 200 degrees

·         in 2 quart sauce pan, melt 4 tablespoons of butter  

·         when sizzling add in 3.5 tablespoons of flour

·         mix together well and cook (do not brown) for 5 - 7 minutes

·         add in the dairy mixture and cook for an additional 20+ minutes

·         product should have the appearance of melted ice cream (thickened)

·         add in ¼ cup of fresh gorgonzola, 1 tablespoon of pesto (I make my own) and 2- 4 tablespoons of fresh chopped basil

Note - can be made ahead, but is best when warmed to room temp before using

To prepare

·         1 package Manicotti shells (about 14 shells) uncooked

·         lasagna pan, lightly coated with olive oil

·         pour ½ cup + of béchamel sauce on bottom

·         stuff the shells (John uses a gallon Ziploc, with a corner cut off)

·         Arrange the stuffed shells in pan

·         Pour remaining béchamel sauce on top
layer w/ ½ pound of fresh mozzarella cut into matchsticks

·         drizzle Marsala wine around the edges

·         cover w/ foil

·         bake for one hour at 400 degrees

·         let sit 10-15 minutes before serving

 And as my hero, Julia would say…Bon Appétit!