A Perfect Tanino

DEAR SOS: Will Tanino Ristorante in Westwood part with its spinach-ricotta manicotti recipe? It’s on the regular menu and has a basil tomato sauce. It sounds ordinary, but it is the most incredible pasta. I’d love to duplicate it.

DONNA FREIERMUTH

Topanga Canyon

DEAR DONNA: Ready for a big operation? Restaurant chefs do these multiple cooking tasks as a matter of course, but home cooks have to brace themselves for major surgery. Just review the recipe ahead and set aside time to make everything. This makes plenty--so invite your friends for dinner. The dish is worth the effort if you have the time.

Tanino’s Manicotti

Active Work Time: 1 1/2 hours * Total Preparation Time: 2 hours * Vegetarian

PASTA

3 1/3 cups flour

Salt

4 eggs

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons water

* Combine flour and 1 teaspoon salt in large bowl. Add eggs, 1 at a time, using an electric mixer with paddle attachment. Drizzle with oil and water. Mix until pasta dough is smooth and falls away from sides of bowl. Divide dough into 4 portions. Using pasta machine, roll out each portion of dough until smooth. Cut into 4-inch squares.

* Bring salted water to boil in large pot. Drop in squares in batches and cook until pasta is al dente, about 1 to 2 minutes. Place in bowl of cold water.

SPINACH-RICOTTA FILLING

4 (6-ounce) bags fresh spinach, stemmed

3 cups ricotta cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

* Steam spinach until wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain well, squeezing excess liquid from spinach. Chop spinach and add ricotta, Parmesan and nutmeg. Mix well.

TOMATO-BASIL SAUCE

1/2 cup olive oil

2 cups chopped onions

2 cups chopped fresh basil

2 pounds Roma tomatoes, peeled, cored and pureed

2 teaspoons salt

4 teaspoons minced oregano

* Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and basil and saute until tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Add pureed tomatoes, salt and oregano. Cook over low heat 20 minutes. Set aside.

ASSEMBLY

Pasta

Spinach-Ricotta Filling

Tomato-Basil Sauce

1 cup Parmesan cheese

* Lay out pasta squares on clean surface. Fill each square with 2 tablespoons Spinach-Ricotta Filling. Roll pasta into tubes. Spoon a little Tomato-Basil Sauce in bottoms of 4 (2-quart) rectangular casserole or baking dishes. Divide manicotti tubes among dishes (there should be 12 for each dish). Top with sauce, dividing among dishes. Sprinkle each dish with 1/4 cup cheese. Bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned and bubbly, 20 minutes.

16 servings. Each serving: 328 calories; 743 mg sodium; 91 mg cholesterol; 18 grams fat; 27 grams carbohydrates; 15 grams protein; 2.41 grams fiber.

Carrot Net Bread

DEAR SOS: I am requesting the recipe for the carrot-raisin bread from Mimi’s Cafe in Rancho Cucamonga. It’s scrumptious.

PAULA KUETHEN

Rancho Cucamonga

Carrot Net Bread

DEAR PAULA: Several other readers expressed your sentiments exactly. The recipe is from Mimi’s Web site, https://www.mimiscafe.com.

Mimi’s Cafe Carrot Bread

Active Work Time: 15 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup oil

1 cup brown sugar, packed

3 eggs

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup diced canned pineapple, drained

1/2 cup raisins

1 cup finely shredded carrots

* Grease bottom of 9x5-inch loaf pan, line with parchment paper and grease parchment paper. Set aside.

* Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt into a large mixing bowl.

* In separate bowl, whisk together oil, sugar and eggs. Stir liquid mixture into flour mixture, mixing well.

* Add walnuts, pineapple, raisins and carrots, stirring to incorporate well.

* Pour batter into pan and bake at 350 degrees until top springs back when touched, 5O to 60 minutes.

12 servings. Each serving: 377 calories; 308 mg sodium; 62 mg cholesterol; 23 grams fat; 40 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 1.5 grams fiber.