![\"Giada's](\"http:\/\/www.pechism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/giada-fat.jpg\" "\\"Giada's")
<\/a><\/p>\nBefore I give you the recipe, let me state that I see no reason for some of the ingredients in this dish, particularly the ground beef and whole-milk ricotta, so I’m substituting lean ground turkey sausage and skim ricotta; I can get as much flavor out of both, and pre-shredded store bought mozzarella has no flavor anyway so I may as well use skim. \u00a0It’s just for a melty, chewy texture. \u00a0And the butter? \u00a0Omit!<\/p>\n
Turkey Sausage Stuffed Manicotti 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil Preheat your oven to 350 F \/ 180 C.<\/p>\n Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a medium skillet. \u00a0Add the chopped onion, a good sprinkling of salt, and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes and cook until translucent, about 8 minutes. \u00a0Add the garlic, cook for 30 seconds, and then add the turkey and another sprinkling of salt. \u00a0Break up any lumps with a wooden spoon and cook until the turkey is lightly browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. \u00a0Remove from heat, drain any excess fat from the pan, and let cool.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to the boil and salt it with reckless abandon. \u00a0Cook the manicotti until they begin to soften but are still quite firm (about 5 minutes). \u00a0Carefully remove them, put them on a plate and cover with a slightly damp paper towel while they cool. \u00a0Don’t let them touch, or as they dry the starch will force them to cling together.<\/p>\n Next, combine the ricotta, 1 1\/2 cups mozzarella, 1\/2 cup Parm, parsley, and basil in a bowl. \u00a0Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste and a pinch of nutmeg. \u00a0Taste for seasoning. \u00a0Add the cooled turkey mixture.<\/p>\n Brush a teaspoon or two of olive oil into the bottom of a 13x9x2 glass baking dish to get it nice and lubed. \u00a0Pour half the marinara sauce into the bottom of the dish, spreading to coat in an even layer. \u00a0Carefully stuff the manicotti with the filling and place in a single layer in the baking dish. \u00a0Pour over remaining sauce, sprinkle with the rest of the mozzarella and Parm, and bake (unconvered) about 30 minutes until everything is bubbly and it’s getting nice and browned. \u00a0Rest for 5 minutes, and serve with a salad.<\/p>\n As you can see, it’s not fat free or something I’d particularly recommend if you’re dieting, but it’s an example of how we can cut out some fat without sacrificing any of the flavor. \u00a0I started doing the math, but got lazy; just let it be known that this recipe cuts off several hundred calories and many grams of fat. \u00a0For those interested, the original recipe is here<\/a>.<\/p>\n *Note on marinara sauce. \u00a0I am loathe to use store-bought marinara, because I think the vast majority of it is absolute rubbish and you can very easily make your own while the rest of the stuff is cooking. \u00a0If you do insist on using store-bought, use only GOOD<\/strong>\u00a0marinara sauce, like Rao’s.<\/p>\n Super quick marinara<\/span>:<\/p>\n Cook a diced onion and a pinch red pepper flake over medium heat in a bit of olive oil with a good sprinkling of salt until translucent. \u00a0Add two cloves minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds. \u00a0Turn the heat up to medium-high, add 1 tbsp tomato paste and 1 tsp sugar and cook for 3 minutes, stirring, until the tomato paste is very aromatic and starting to brown. \u00a0Deglaze with 1\/3 cup red wine vinegar (careful, it will be very pungent) and reduce the vinegar down. \u00a0Add 28 oz crushed tomatoes, a good amount of salt, and simmer for 20 minutes until thickened slightly. \u00a0Check for seasoning; tomatoes need a ton of salt. \u00a0Voila.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I’m a pretty big fan of Giada de Laurentiis; in addition to learning a heckuva lot about Italian cookery from her, she’s just a big sweetheart. \u00a0Anyways — lazy cookery mode in still in full swing — I was thinking … Continue reading
\n<\/span>Serves 4.<\/p>\n
\n1 onion, chopped
\n2 cloves garlic, minced
\n1 lb lean turkey sausage, casings removed (I’m using sweet)
\nkosher salt
\ncrushed red pepper flakes
\n8 oz package manicotti
\n1, 15 oz container part skim ricotta cheese
\n3 cups skim-milk, shredded mozzarella
\n1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
\n2 tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley
\n2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
\nnutmeg
\nfreshly ground black pepper
\n3 cups marinara sauce (see note)<\/p>\n