Manicotti

They can be made from pre-shaped tubes of pasta, or, from flat strips of pasta.

The outsides of the pre-formed tubes are ridged to catch and hold onto sauce.

When making it from flat pasta dough, long, wide, flat strips of pasta are used. You put the filling on and then roll the strips up into tubes. ^[1]America’s Test Kitchen. The Complete Make-Ahead Cookbook. Brookline, MA: Random House. 2017. Page 133.

The filling is often based on ricotta cheese. Mixtures typically include items such as spinach, ground meat, etc.

Once stuffed, the manicotti are covered with a sauce, usually tomato based, and baked, and served hot.

Béchamel is another popular sauce to use.

Cooking Tips

Unless you have bought “oven-ready” manicotti pasta, you need to cook the manicotti shells first before stuffing them. You want them to be softened, but still a bit firm.

Boil in salted water for about 5 minutes or until just flexible. Or, pressure cook on high with just enough water to cover for 3 minutes, natural release.

Cooking them in single layers in the pot, even if it means cooking them in a few batches, can help avoid them sticking together and ripping.

After cooking, drain, lay them out on a tray or plate in a single layer, let cool until safe to handle, and then proceed with stuffing them.

Note: opinions vary as to whether it is advisable to cool the noodles faster by rinsing them in cold water after cooking.

Substitutes

Cannelloni, egg-roll wrappers, cooked lasagna noodles (cut in half lengthwise, layer filling on, then roll up).

Equivalents

14 tubular shells (2.5 cm x 10 cm / 1 inch x 4 inch), uncooked, unstuffed = 250 g = 18 g each

Language Notes

In Italian, “manicotto” means “little sleeve.”