Manicotti

Manicotti
Makes approximately 8 manicotti

Shells
3 eggs
1 cup water
1 cup rice flour
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
Pinch salt
Vegetable oil

Filling
15 ounces gluten-free ricotta cheese
8 ounces gluten-free mozzarella cheese, grated or finely minced
3/8 cup gluten-free parmesan or Romano cheese, grated
1/8 cup parsley flakes
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
26 1/2 ounces of your favorite tomato sauce
Browned ground beef (optional)

1. Heat your favorite tomato sauce, adding ground beef and any other additions you like. Simmer slowly while you prepare the rest of the recipe. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. To make the shells, place eggs and water in a bowl and combine with a hand mixer. Slowly add rice flour, xanthan gum and salt. Mix until it reaches consistency of smooth but thin pancake batter. Heat 8-inch cast iron skillet on high, thinly coating the bottom with oil. (Skillet is ready when a bead of water dances on pan¹s surface.) Slowly pour in enough batter to thinly cover the complete bottom of the skillet. Reduce heat slightly. Shell is ready when edges curl up. Do not turn shell over. Slide it out of the skillet onto a large plate. Continue the process, re-oiling the skillet between shells. Stack shells on top of one another. Set aside.

3. To fill the shells, mix the three cheeses in a large bowl, reserving a small amount of mozzarella for later. Add parsley flakes, salt, and eggs. Mix together well. Set aside.

4. To assemble, cover bottom of a rectangular glass pan with some tomato sauce. Fill each shell across the center with approximately 2 full tablespoons of cheese filling. Fold over each side of the shell to cover filling, using a small amount of filling to hold the two sides together. Place filled shell at one end of the pan. Continue with the remaining shells in the same manner. (You may need more than one pan.) Spoon some tomato sauce across center of manicottis so that ends still show. Garnish sauce with a sprinkle of grated cheese, grated mozzarella and parsley flakes.
5. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until cheeses are bubbly. Serve hot.