This manicotti recipe is pasta bake convenience meals at its best! This straightforward no-boil way means that you can take pleasure in layers of creamy cheese and savory filling with out the fuss.

In search of a comfortable pasta bake? Do this manicotti recipe, vintage Italian American convenience meals at its best! There’s one thing so impossible to resist about pasta tubes full of 3 cheeses and bathed in garlicky, tangy tomato sauce. This recipe is in reality one of the best ways to make manicotti: you don’t even need to boil pasta! No stovetop cooking required, and no fumbling stuffing flimsy pasta tubes. Fill them dry, then pop them within the oven so you’ll be able to experience all of the creamy cheese and savory filling with out the fuss!

What’s manicotti?

Manicotti are massive pasta tubes which might be pointed on the finish with ridges, meant to be filled and baked. The phrase comes from the Italian phrase manicotto, which means “giant sleeves.” Manicotti is a well-liked Italian American pasta bake the place the pasta is filled with a ricotta filling that may be both meat crammed or vegetarian.

What’s the distinction between manicotti vs cannelloni? Cannelloni are massive tubes identical to manicotti, however they’re clean and feature flat ends. They’re maximum continuously served with a meat filling, while manicotti can also be vegetarian or with meat.

What makes this the best possible manicotti recipe

As we researched this manicotti recipe, we noticed the similar criticism over and over again: “Why is it so exhausting to fill manicotti?” While you boil the pasta tubes, they are able to transform very refined and tough to fill. You’ll be able to additionally overcook them, risking rubbery pasta.

As a substitute, this manicotti recipe is a no boil recipe so the dry pasta chefs within the sauce whilst baking. You’ll fill the pasta tubes whilst they’re dry, then upload 1 cup water to the marinara sauce which is sufficient moisture to prepare dinner the pasta concurrently baking. (Word that you simply don’t wish to purchase no boil pasta, simply usual manicotti.) The pasta comes out completely al dente: it’s magical!

Boiling choice

After all for those who desire cooking the pasta, you’ll be able to do this too! Boil the pasta tubes sooner than baking, fill them the use of a pastry bag, take away the 1 cup water from Step 2, and shorten the bake time through half-hour!

Easiest techniques to fill the pasta

Manicotti is notoriously tough to fill. It’s best possible to make use of a pastry bag to fill the tubes, because it squirts the filling proper in. However for those who’re like me, it’s possible you’ll like keeping off the mess and bother of pulling out your pastry bag.

Since this recipe makes use of dry pasta, it’s more straightforward to fill! You’ll be able to merely use an extended spoon or different utensil to fill the manicotti. It takes relatively longer than the pastry bag, nevertheless it does the activity neatly!

Components for this manicotti recipe

This manicotti recipe has a 3 cheese filling, filled ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese in conjunction with with spinach, garlic, and herbs. Don’t concern: meat enthusiasts received’t omit the beef! This one went over extraordinarily neatly with family and friends! In case you desire meat, you’ll be able to replace the spinach for ¾ pound cooked and seasoned flooring pork or sausage. Right here’s what you’ll want for this manicotti recipe:

• Manicotti
• Hearth roasted beaten tomatoes
• Garlic
• Olive oil
• Dried oregano
• Dried tarragon (not obligatory)
• Frozen spinach
• Ricotta, Parmesan and mozzarella cheese
• Egg
• Recent parsely
• Kosher salt and pepper

Hearth roasted tomatoes, & why to steer clear of jarred sauce

You’ll understand from the record above that this manicotti recipe makes use of a do-it-yourself tomato sauce with fireplace roasted tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and dried oregano. Hearth roasted tomatoes are key to the flavour: they’re roasted over an open flame so their taste is nice and advanced proper out of the can. If you’ll be able to’t to find them, use your highest high quality canned beaten tomatoes and upload ¼ teaspoon sugar.

Keep away from substituting jarred marinara sauce on this recipe! We examined this recipe with jarred marinara sauce and the flavors tasted flat and uninspired. It takes simply 5 mins to stir in combination the marinara sauce for this recipe: don’t skip it!

What to serve with manicotti

Wish to make this manicotti recipe right into a meal? Listed below are a couple of nice easy aspects you’ll be able to make that don’t require an oven whilst your manicotti bakes: