Do I need to precook manicotti?

[danpeikes]

I am looking to do a ground beef stuffed manicotti. Going to sautee the beef with the some veggies and cover the manicotti with a tomato based sauce. My question is do I need to boil the manicotti before I stuff it, or can I just let it cook in the oven with the tomato sauce and with moister from the meat? I know my mother makes lasagnia witthout precooking the noodles by adding some additional water and cooking it covered. Can I do something like that with manicotti?

 

[SierraCook]

You don't have to boil the manicotti before you stuff them, but you will definitely need to add some additional water to the recipe.

 

[Andy M.]

And if you don't want to add additional water, you have to pre-cook the manicotti.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I like to stuff my uncooked manicotti with a combination mixture of ground beef, onion, cheese, and sauce, all blended together under heat. I then lift one end to my lips and blow hard, making sure to point the pasta tube at my cat.

I don't reqally do that; but it would be fun. I do cook my manicotti, but not to the al dente stage. It breaks too easily when it is fully cooked. I do use the combo stuffing though. And sometimes, I add minced mushrooms as well. I then top it with a slightly watery sauce and more cheese. Then, cover the pan sith foil and cook for thirty minutes.

Btu partially cooking the pasta, I find that I can control the sauce thickeness better than if I use completely uncooked manicotti tubes. I also over-spice the sauce as the substantial flavor of the noodle will drown the herbs and spices of the sauce you would make for spaghetti. Also, the cheese dilutes the herb/spice flavor as well.

Seeeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[vyapti]

The easiest way I ever made manicotti was to use Barilla precooked lasagna noodles. I just soaked them in hot water until they were pliable, then put the filling on one side and rolled it up. It was brilliant!

 

[msmofet]

italians make manicotti with crepes (not pasta tubes). put cheese filling on crepe and roll like a soft taco place in pan. cover with sauce and cheese bake.

 

[Saphellae]

When I make manicotti, I boil my tubes until they are half done. Then they are still malleable but they will not break, and you don't need as much liquid to cook. I stuff mine sometimes with italian sausage and ricotta, eggs, and some italian spices. Delicious!

 

[leeniek]

I use the fresh lasagne sheets as well for manicotti and canneloni. It's much easier than dealing with the dreaded pasta tubes and I always have perfectly rolled and stuffed manicotti/canneloni