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1
Lets start with our bacon.
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2
Dice it and saute it in a skillet over medium heat until it gets crispy.
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3
Directly into the skillet with the bacon, toss in the onions and garlic.
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4
Lower the heat a bit and slowly cook or sweat the onions until soft.
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5
Usually this takes about 15 to 20 minutes.
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Remove skillet from heat and let it cool.
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7
Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil then cook manicotti pasta according to package instructions.
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8
When it is done, drain it and place the pasta in a single layer on a greased dish.
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9
Thoroughly drain and rinse the cans of black beans, removing all the preservatives from the canning process.
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Reserve 1/2 cup of the beans in a small dish and put the rest into a blender or food processor.
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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.
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Note that I kept about 1/2 cup of black bean whole, as it adds an extra bite to the dish.
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Just stir the whole black beans into the mixing bowl with the black bean paste.
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Stir the mascarpone cheese and cooled onion mixture into the mixing bowl with the black beans.
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Taste and season with salt if needed.
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16
Spoon the mixture to a Ziplock bag or piping bag with a tip.
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I like to heat up my skillet while I pipe the filling into my manicotti pasta, so heat the skillet over medium heat.
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You can definitely use the same skillet you used for the onions and bacon mixture.
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It probably will still have some bacon yumminess on it.
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Add the remaining olive oil into the skillet.
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If you are using a Ziplock bag for piping, cut a small slit in one of the bottom corners.
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Pipe the filling into the manicotti shells, and directly place them in the skillet.
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Flip the manicotti shells when one side is golden brown, and allow the other side to brown.
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They will be done when both sides are golden brown and crispy!
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25
Dish up the manicoti, garnish with Parmesan cheese, and serve with your favorite marinara sauce.
