Crab Stuffed Manicotti

 Crab Stuffed Manicotti

 It's crab season !! Actually it has been crab season since November and I am finally getting around to posting about crab :-)

First off, if you are a vegetarian or vegan, you might want to skip this post. I may eventually come up with a vegetarian version of this recipe but for now there may be material coming that is unsuited for those who prefer their food without moving parts.

If you are lucky enough to live near the ocean, the absolute best way to get your crab is fresh off the boat. We are that lucky and receive emails whenever Frank has crabs to sell at the harbor.

They are truly amazing and we love supporting local fisherman. The only hard part for some folks is that you have to kill the crabs yourself. There are those who prefer to toss them into the boiling water whole...we have found that the meat is sweeter if you kill and clean them first, then steam them.

YouTube has lots of videos of how to go about it. I won't go into those details now.

Once you have cleaned them, steam them for 12 minutes.
Buy extra, eat all you can freshly steamed with crusty French bread and a salad !! Use the leftover crab for this recipe, that's what we did.

Or you can buy them cooked and cracked from most local markets. Be sure they are fresh NOT frozen.
I know taking the meat out of the shells is a hassle but well worth it when it comes to flavor. Get someone you like to help you or put on some good music ;-)

As a last resort you can buy it already removed from the shell, it is much more expensive. 
I have an aversion to canned crab, enough said.

Crab Stuffed Manicotti

Ingredients

• 1 box manicotti pasta (about 12-14 shells)
• 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 pound crabmeat
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic granules
• 1 jar Alfredo sauce

Here is how they keep the pasta from breaking in the package.

1) Preheat the oven to 350 F, if you are going to bake the manicotti right away. You can also make it up ahead and store for a day before cooking it.

2)Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.

2) While the pasta is cooking, in a large bowl, mix together ricotta, 1/2 cup Parmesan, egg yolk, basil, crab, garlic granules, salt, and pepper.

3) Once the pasta is cooked drained and slightly cooled, fill the tubes with the crab mixture.  It's a bit of a delicate operation as you don't want to tear the tubes.

4)  Place in a buttered baking dish.

5) Cover with Alfredo sauce. I cheat and use the Trader Joe's version, as I find it works very well in this kind of recipe. The original recipe uses a plain white sauce and has you top the dish with more grated Parmesan cheese. Next time I would use bread crumbs as a topping, I just skipped the cheese this time.

You can see the fresh basil plant I also got from Trader Joe's to use in this recipe.

6) Bake uncovered until bubbly and the top is golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Serve immediately with a big green salad !!

I forgot to take a photo when it came out of the oven. 

Here it is the second day, it makes great leftovers !!

This recipe is NOT low calorie or low fat. There are ways to make it so I am sure. 
I really don't mind rich food, I eat a small portion with a big salad and am very happy !