Homemade Manicotti from Pancakes

Ingredients:

Sauce

• 2 cans of 800g canned peeled Italian tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• A pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• 3 large sprigs of basil

Pancakes

• 8 large eggs
• 2 cups premium flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• 3/4 cup water

Filling

• 800 g whole milk ricotta
• 1 tbsp. grated salted fresh mozzarella (ball 220 gr.)
• 0.5 cup grated Parmesan + extra for sprinkling
• 3 tbsp. l. grated pecorino
• 3 tbsp finely chopped parsley
• 0.5 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Preparation:

1. Sauce:
   
   Combine the canned tomatoes in a large bowl. Set the jars aside. Crush the tomatoes with your hands. Combine the olive oil and garlic in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the garlic is translucent and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes. Fill each tomato can halfway with water, stir to scrape down the sides of the can to get any remaining tomato juice, and add to the saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, about 35 minutes. Add the whole basil sprigs, season with salt and pepper to taste, and remove from the heat. You should have about 6 cups of sauce.
2. Pancakes:
   
   Whisk the eggs, flour, milk, water, and 1 teaspoon of salt in a blender until smooth. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
3. Heat an 8-inch (20 cm) stainless steel skillet over medium heat (see Note). Using a ladle or measuring cup, pour 1/4 cup of batter into the center of the skillet and swirl to coat the bottom. Cook until the pancake is dry and pulls away from the sides of the pan, 1-2 minutes per side. The pancakes should not brown. It usually takes one or two tries to get the pancakes just right, so adjust the heat if necessary. Transfer the pancake to a plate. Continue cooking, stacking the pancakes. You should have about 16 good pancakes. At this point, they can be tightly wrapped and stored on a plate in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
4. Filling:
   
   Combine ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, pecorino, parsley, nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon black pepper.
5. To assemble, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line the bottom of each of two 9 x 13-inch (22 x 32 cm) baking pans with 1.5 cups of sauce (you can also place basil sprigs in the bottom of the pans, if desired). Divide the filling between the crepes (about 1/4 cup per crepe) and spread it in a line down the center of each crepe. Roll them up (leaving the ends open) and place the crepes tightly in the baking pans, seam side down. Drizzle 1 cup of sauce in a single line down the center of each baking pan (the sauce will only partially cover the crepes). At this point, the manicotti can be tightly covered and refrigerated overnight; uncover the pans before baking.
6. Cover the pans with lids or aluminum foil and bake until the filling is heated through and the sauce is bubbling, 20-25 minutes. Remove the lid, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and continue baking until the cheese is melted and the edges of the crepes are golden brown, another 5-10 minutes. Reheat the remaining sauce in a small saucepan or microwave and serve with the manicotti.
   
   

   Notes of a Cook

   
   Because of the high egg content in the batter, these pancakes resemble pasta. It's important that they stay white after frying. Surprisingly, they don't stick to a stainless steel pan. The pancakes cook slowly, almost like steam, so there's no need to grease the pan; just make sure it's hot enough. Pancakes can also be cooked in a nonstick pan, but they won't turn out as well. The coating on such a pan tends to burn the eggs, giving them an odd smell and taste, and the dark surface will darken the color even before the pancakes are actually cooked.