Seafood Stuffed Manicotti

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 50 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 2 tablespoons butter or 2 tablespoons margarine
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely shredded
• 1 (1 lb) can diced tomato
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon dry basil
• 3/4 lb crab, cooked (or canned)
• 1 lb small cooked shrimp
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced, include tops
• 1 cup fontina cheese, shredded
• 10 large manicotti or 10 large other tube-shaped pasta
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 1/4 cup butter or 1/4 cup margarine
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup fontina cheese, shredded
• 2 tablespoons dry
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Recipe

• 1 in a wide fry pan over medium heat, melt butter. add onion and carrot and cook until soft (don't overcook).
• 2 stir in parsley, diced tomatoes with liquid, chicken broth, and basil.
• 3 reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes or until sauce thickens, then set aside.
• 4 in a large bowl combine crab, shrimp, green onions, and fontina cheese. set filling aside.
• 5 cook manicotti in boiling water, according to package directions, until slightly firm - do not overcook!
• 6 rinse cooked manicotti with cold water and drain well. set aside.
• 7 now prepare the fontina sauce recipe as follows:.
• 8 in a wide fry pan over medium heat, melt butter or margarine. add onion and cook until soft.
• 9 blend in flour and cook, stirring until bubbly.
• 10 gradually pour in milk and chicken broth, cooking and stirring until sauce thickens and boils.
• 11 remove from heat and add shredded fontina cheese, dry , nutmeg, and pepper. still just until cheese melts.
• 12 casserole assembly:.
• 13 stuff each manicotti with the seafood filling (roughly about 4 tablespoons).
• 14 spoon half of the tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 casserole dish. arrange filled pasta side by side in the sauce.
• 15 pour some of the sauce into the casserole but not directly the manicotti. (remainder of sauce can be offered separately).
• 16 pour the fontina sauce down the center of the casserole (lengthwise).
• 17 sprinkle with 1/3 of the parmesan cheese. (remaining parmesan is sprinkled after baking).
• 18 at this point you may cool, cover, and refrigerate until next day.
• 19 bake uncovered at 375°f for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly browned and heated through. (35 minutes if refrigerated).
• 20 sprinkle remaining parmesan cheese over top and offer as a side any remaining sauce.