Cannelloni with Shrimp

Recipe makes 18-20 Cannelloni


When my grandma Cira came to this country, she lived in Little Italy in New York City.  There she befriended a struggling baker named Ferrara.  This kind woman taught my grandmother how to make authentic manicotti and Easter pie.  Ferrara's is now the most famous Italian bakery in the US. 


It was because of this recipe that I first learned to cook.  My mother was not a very good teacher.  The only way to learn a recipe was to watch her.  However necessity changed that.  My mother had a catering job where she had to make 500 manicotti and she couldn't do it herself.  I not only learned how to make manicotti, I became very proficient at making this dish after making 500 manicotti shells.  This is still one of my most requested signature dishes.


Most Americans are familiar with the heavy premade pasta tubes that you buy in the grocery store.  In Naples they are made with a crepe-like shell (crispelli) that just melts in your mouth. The difference between cannelloni and manicotti is the addition of meat or fish. If you eliminated the shrimp from this recipe you would have manicotti. 

Manicotti Shells *
2 Lg Eggs
1 C Water (Room Temp)
1 1/3 C of Sifted Flour
Pinch of Salt
Crisco Shortening for greasing the pans*
     
Filling
1 lb Medium Shrimp
2 cloves Garlic minced
1 tsp salt
1 TBS Olive Oil
3 Lg Eggs
1.5 lbs Ricotta Cheese
8 oz Shredded Fontina Cheese
¼ C Grated Parmesan or Romano Cheese
1 tsp Dried Parsley
Manicotti shells
1 Qt Vodka Sauce *


Preparing the Manicotti Shells 


Beat 3 eggs and water with a rotary beater in a large bowl.  Add the flour and salt a little at a time with the beaters on low until completely incorporated.  It should have the consistency of a very thin batter.


Heat a 6", number 3, greased iron skillet or nonstick pan.  Using a paper towel spread some Crisco on the frying pan to coat, being careful not to touch the pan with your hands.  Place 3 TBS of batter in the center of the frying pan and using an oven mitt pick up the frying pan and swirl the batter so that it is spread evenly across the skillet.  Once the batter has stopped bubbling and the edges are dry, flip the shell using a spatula or butter knife.  Cook another thirty seconds or until the shell is a very light cream color.  Stack the shells on a dish until you have completed frying all the batter.  You will end up with 25-30 manicotti shells.


Preparing the Shrimp


Clean and devein the shrimp.  Cut the shrimp into very small pieces.  Heat the olive oil in a large skillet until hot but not smoking.  Add the shrimp, salt, and minced garlic and constantly move around the pan until the shrimp turns pink.  This will only take 1-2 minutes.  Put the cooked shrimp into a bowl to cool for at least ten minutes, then drain.


Making the Filling


In a large bowl beat the eggs with a whisk until uniform in color.  Add the three cheeses and the dried parsley.  Mix until uniform in color.  Add the shrimp and mix until evenly distributed.


Filling the Cannelloni


Preheat the oven to 325°F.  Take a large roasting pan and cover the bottom with 1C of the Vodka Sauce.  Take a cooled Manicotti shell in your hand and fill with ¼ C of the filling.  Fold it over like a crepe and place the cannelloni seam side down in the roasting pan. 


Cover the cannelloni in the roasting pan with the remaining vodka sauce.  Cover the roasting pan with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes.  Serve hot out of the oven.  


PREPARING AHEAD:  You can prepare the Cannelloni ahead of time and place the covered roasting pan with the cannelloni in the refrigerator overnight.  If you do this increase the cooking time to 45 minutes.


FREEZING NOTE: If you do not want to bake all of the cannelloni at one time, place the remaining, uncooked, cannelloni on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.  Place in the freezer for 24 hours until thoroughly frozen.  Remove from the cookie sheet and place in a zipper top bag in the freezer.  They will be good for 2 months in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking as directed below.


 * Pronto Substitutes


Manicotti Shells – You  can substitute the manicotti shells found in the pasta section of your grocery store. Prepare them according to the package directions. They will be heavier than the home made manicotti shells.


Crisco Shortening – You can substitute canola or peanut oil. Do not use olive oil or it will burn.


Vodka Sauce – You can substitute marinara sauce or any other tomato sauce or even alfredo sauce.


To print a copy of this recipe go to Canniloni with Shrimp