Manicotti

Forget the dried store-bought shells. This manicotti starts with fresh pasta dough, kneaded until smooth, rested, then rolled thin and cut into rectangles you fill and fold yourself. The difference in texture is night and day: tender, silky pasta that melts into the ricotta stuffing.

The filling is a three-cheese blend of ricotta, diced mozzarella, and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, bound with eggs and butter. It’s rich without being heavy. Drain your ricotta well before mixing, or you’ll end up with soggy manicotti.

After rolling and stuffing, the tubes get lined up in a baking pan, blanketed with meat sauce, and finished with another hit of Parmesan. A slow bake lets the cheese set and the sauce soak into the pasta edges.

Pro Tips

• Let the dough rest a full hour. Skipping this step makes rolling a fight, and the pasta will shrink back and tear.
• Roll the dough as thin as possible. Thick pasta won’t fold neatly and will be doughy after baking.
• Add olive oil to the boiling water to prevent the sheets from sticking to each other.
• Lay boiled pasta between damp towels while you fill them so they don’t dry out and crack.

Variations

• Use a spinach and ricotta filling for a vegetarian version. Squeeze the spinach very dry first.
• Swap meat sauce for a simple marinara if you prefer a lighter dish.
• Add a layer of bechamel on top before the Parmesan for a creamier bake.