Black Bean Manicotti Frita

Let’s start with our bacon. Dice it and saute it in a skillet over medium heat until it gets crispy. Directly into the skillet with the bacon, toss in the onions and garlic. Lower the heat a bit and slowly cook or “sweat” the onions until soft. Usually this takes about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and let it cool.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil then cook manicotti pasta according to package instructions. When it is done, drain it and place the pasta in a single layer on a greased dish.

Thoroughly drain and rinse the cans of black beans, removing all the preservatives from the canning process. Reserve 1/2 cup of the beans in a small dish and put the rest into a blender or food processor. Pulse the black beans with 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a blender, until it forms a smooth paste then transfer it to a mixing bowl. Note that I kept about 1/2 cup of black bean whole, as it adds an extra bite to the dish. Just stir the whole black beans into the mixing bowl with the black bean paste.

Stir the mascarpone cheese and cooled onion mixture into the mixing bowl with the black beans. Taste and season with salt if needed. Spoon the mixture to a Ziplock bag or piping bag with a tip.

I like to heat up my skillet while I pipe the filling into my manicotti pasta, so heat the skillet over medium heat. You can definitely use the same skillet you used for the onions and bacon mixture. It probably will still have some bacon yumminess on it. Add the remaining olive oil into the skillet.

If you are using a Ziplock bag for piping, cut a small slit in one of the bottom corners. Pipe the filling into the manicotti shells, and directly place them in the skillet.

Flip the manicotti shells when one side is golden brown, and allow the other side to brown. They will be done when both sides are golden brown and crispy! Dish up the manicoti, garnish with Parmesan cheese, and serve with your favorite marinara sauce.