CALLIOPE’S......MANICOTTI stuffed with TOFU and SPINACH

[Guest guest]

CALLIOPE'S......MANICOTTI stuffed with TOFU and SPINACH

in a MARINARA, SPAGHETTI SQUASH SAUCE.

 

If you hate tofu...just use ricotta or cottage cheese or farmer's

cheese...

 

Cut a med-large spaghetti squash in half, place the halves cut-side

down in 2-inches of boiling water, cover and simmer for 45min.-1hour

or till just tender. You will need to do them a half at a time

because of the size if you are using a stockpot...all at once if you

are using a roasting pan.

 

Saute one large yellow onion, rough chopped, and 2-3 large garlic

cloves minced, in some olive oil with some red pepper flakes, 2- Bay

leaves and a bit of dried thyme for about 5-8 minutes, add 1-cup dry

red wine and simmer about 5 minutes. Add a jar of Paul Newman's

Marinara Sauce, the juice of one lemon (cause its too sweet! and you

may also want to add a splash of either red wine vinegar or balsamic

as well, a handful of chopped Italian parsley, a small can of sliced

black olives, rough chopped, and bring back to a simmer and turn off

the heat. Add one more large raw garlic clove minced fine.

 

Par-boil your manicotti shells for about 7 minutes and rinse

thoroughly in cold water, inside and out, so they don't stick

closed...drain and set aside.

 

Beat 2 eggs, add a good grating of nutmeg, some fresh black pepper,

oregano and parsley and either 2 " bricks " of extra firm tofu,

squeezed of water best you can...or one of the tofu and a generous

cup of cottage or farmer's cheese and 1/3-1/2 cup grated Parmesan

cheese and one or 2-10-oz. boxes frozen chopped spinach, thawed and

squeezed of as much water as you can.

I also like to add a bit of olive oil...and combine it all with a

potato masher.

 

Stuff the manicotti shells. Place half your sauce in a lasagna

baking dish, lay the shells on top and cover with the rest of the

sauce. Bake covered with foil at 350 for 45 minutes. Half way

through, carefully peel up the foil, scatter the squash around and

poke it down, recover and continue baking.

 

If you wish, you may uncover it at the end and sprinkle with

shredded mozzarella or Fontina cheese and bake, uncovered another 10

minutes, or just till the cheese melts...or serve it without and

instead, just another sprinkling of Parmesan.

 

*NOTE*....obviously you could also do this using jumbo shells or

lasagna noodles. Serve it with a nice green salad with a red wine

vinaigrette and fruit for dessert!

[Guest guest]

> CALLIOPE'S......MANICOTTI stuffed with TOFU and SPINACH

> in a MARINARA, SPAGHETTI SQUASH SAUCE.

 

 

I do something similar to this, but I toss the spaghetti squash with

basil and garlic, and stuff *it* inside the shells. Put some marinara

in the bottom of the pan, put the stuffed shells in, top with more

suace and bake. Oft-requested recipe.