Chicken and Ricotta Stuffed Manicotti With Jalapeno Jelly Cream Sauce

Serves 6 

Ingredients:

1 package Manicotti, about 14 tubes
1 15 oz container ricotta cheese
1 extra large egg
1/3 C white wine
Salt and pepper
¾ C grated Pecorino Romano plus ½ more for garnish ½ C chopped fresh basil
4 C mini red, yellow and orange peppers
4 T mild tasting olive oil divided ¾ lb lean chicken breast strips, cooked,
cooled and chopped finely ¾ C heavy cream
1/3 C jalapeño pepper jelly

Direction:

• Toss the mini peppers with about 2 T olive oil and salt and pepper to coat. Place on a large cookie sheet,
• spread all over and not touching. Roast peppers at 400 degrees F for about 35 minutes, or until you see the skin blistering and a little bubbling. Take out and cool in a bowl. Then chop into chunks.
• In a frying pan, heat 1 T oil and cook tenders without salt and pepper. Cook through, about 4 minutes or
• so on each side (you don’t want any pink) then add the white wine and reduce for about 3 minutes. Remove, drain, cool and chop finely or mince. Depending upon the consistency you want. Reserve about 1 T of the reduced wine mixture for the cheese mixture.
• In a large pan, bring 2-3 quarts of water to a boil, and cook the manicotti to a very firm al dente. Remove
• and immerse into ice water to cool. Drain and pat dry.
• In a large 8 C bowl, add the ricotta, pecorino, the egg, the fresh basil, the cooled chopped peppers, and the cooled chopped chicken. Add a bit of nutmeg and a dash of salt and pepper to taste.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place all of the cheese/chicken mixture into a large zip lock baggie. Cut
• about a ¾ inch width hole at the bottom. (You can make it bigger if you want to after you try this size…) Pipe the mixture into the tubes, just until full. Put the remaining olive oil in a large baking dish. Arrange the stuffed manicotti in the dish. In a small bowl, combine the jelly and the cream. Pour over the manicotti, and cover with the rest of the cheese. Cook in the oven until bubbly, about 20-25 minutes.
• Serve over brown rice medley, alongside a green salad and use any remaining roasted mini peppers to
• garnish plus a flourish of fresh basil.