From the menu of … Maggiano’s Little Italy, 3368 Peachtree Road N.E., Atlanta. 404-816-9650, www.maggianos.com
Q: I’d love to have the recipe for Chicken and Spinach Manicotti from Maggiano’s. They use lasagna noodles and not the stuffed pasta that’s so hard to make. The taste is absolutely wonderful! Thank you.
— Betty Stephens, Monroe
A: The manicotti at Maggiano's Little Italy is actually made with crepes and not lasagna noodles. The chefs provided this recipe, which looks a little daunting but actually goes together quickly.
The whole dish can also be assembled ahead of time, covered and refrigerated and then baked just before you’re ready to serve. In that case, allow extra heating time.
Use your own home-roasted chicken or the meat from a purchased herb-roasted rotisserie chicken.
Is there a recipe from a metro Atlanta restaurant you’d like to make at home? Tell us and we’ll try to get it. We’ll also test it and adapt it for the home kitchen. Because of volume, we can’t answer all inquiries. Send your request, your address and phone number to fromthemenu@gmail.com and put “From the menu of” and the name of restaurant in the subject line.
Maggiano’s Little Italy’s Chicken & Spinach Manicotti
Hands on: 40 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Serves: 6
A 2-pound rotisserie chicken will yield 3 generous cups of chicken.
3 cups chopped roasted herb-seasoned chicken
1 cup ricotta
1/2 pound fresh spinach, rinsed, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese blend
1/4 cup grated Asiago
Crepes (see recipe)
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
Alfredo Sauce (see recipe)
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
In a large bowl, make filling by stirring together chicken, ricotta, spinach, Italian cheese and Asiago.
Make manicotti by laying crepes on work surface, browned side down. Place 1/3 cup filling on bottom half of each crepe. Fold crepe in half and lightly push down so crepe is flat and filling is distributed to all the edges. Continue with remaining crepes and filling until all are used.
In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat until very hot. One at a time, lay each manicotti in the skillet and cook until brown on one side, about 2 minutes. Flip manicotti and brown second side, about 2 minutes. As each manicotti browns, move to the prepared baking dish, slightly overlapping manicotti with open sides all in the same direction. Continue until all manicotti are filled, browned and arranged, adding remaining tablespoon oil as needed. After all manicotti are browned, ladle Alfredo Sauce over all and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake until golden brown and bubbling, about 20 minutes.
Per serving (2 manicotti): 711 calories (percent of calories from fat, 73), 33 grams protein, 15 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 58 grams fat (29 grams saturated), 245 milligrams cholesterol, 539 milligrams sodium.
Maggiano’s Little Italy’s Crepes
Hands on: 30 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes, plus resting time
Makes: 12
The Maggiano’s chefs note that the batter’s resting time allows the bubbles to subside so the crepes will be less likely to tear during cooking. If batter thickens too much during resting, add water, a tablespoon at a time, to thin the batter so it pours evenly.
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup water
2 eggs
3 tablespoons melted butter, plus extra for cooking the crepes
In the jar of a blender, make batter by combining flour, milk, water, eggs and melted butter. Blend for 10 seconds. Refrigerate batter for 1 hour.
When ready to make crepes, heat an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Brush on just enough butter to lightly coat the bottom. When skillet is hot, pour in 2 tablespoons batter and swirl skillet quickly to evenly spread the batter. Cook crepe until first side is lightly browned, about 30 seconds, and then using a thin spatula, flip the crepe. Cook 10 seconds on second side and then remove crepe to a work surface and allow to cool. Continue until all batter has been used. Once crepes are cooled, they can be refrigerated and stored for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before using.
Per crepe: 83 calories (percent of calories from fat, 45), 3 grams protein, 9 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 4 grams fat (2 grams saturated), 44 milligrams cholesterol, 49 milligrams sodium.
Maggiano’s Little Italy’s Alfredo Sauce
Hands on: 5 minutes
Total time: 5 minutes
Makes: 2 cups
2 cups cream
1 cup shredded Asiago (about 3 ounces)
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Salt and pepper
In a medium saucepan, combine cream, Asiago, butter and garlic. Bring to a simmer and season to taste. Keep warm until ready to use.
Per 1/3-cup serving: 280 calories (percent of calories from fat, 88), 6 grams protein, 3 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 28 grams fat (17 grams saturated), 93 milligrams cholesterol, 242 milligrams sodium.
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