Make- Ahead Manicotti

Make Ahead Manicotti is the dish for you if you are a mom with toddlers and school going kids. Always being prepared with food is basically a part of your job description.

Manicotti which is an Italian Pasta can be prepared with the simplest of ingredients and can be served to children as many times as possible with different stuffing and sauces. Its variety makes it a unique dish.

Let’s have a look at how this recipe makes this delicious meal.

Health Benefits

Make ahead manicotti is generally stuffed with beef and creamy sauces. If you replaced these ingredients with vegetables of your choice, it can become a nutritious meal. However, when prepared with stuffing of beef, cheese and creamy sauces, it should be eaten in moderation. It will keep you healthy.

Ingredients

cooking oil: 2 tbsp

chopped onion: 1

chopped garlic cloves: 4-5

Ground Beef: 200 gm

salt to taste

freshly ground pepper to taste

tomato puree: 2 cans

Cream cheese: 8 ounces

chopped fresh parsley leaves

grated mozzarella cheese: 1 cup

cooking oil: 1 tbsp

How To Make Make- Ahead Manicotti

For Boiling the Manicotti

1. Take a deep pot.
2. Pour 5 to 6 glasses of water into the pot.
3. Add salt and oil into the pot.
4. Bring the water to boil and add the manicotti into the pot.
5. Let it boil until it is only half cooked.
6. Take it off the heat, drain the hot water and run it through cold water so you can handle it easily.
7. Set it aside until it is needed for assembling.

For Stuffing

1. Take a non-stick frying pan.
2. Heat up oil into the pan.
3. Add chopped onion, chopped garlic, ground beef, salt, freshly ground black pepper and tomato puree into the pan.
4. Mix everything well until the ground beef is completely tender.
5. Add the cream cheese into the pan once you can feel the tenderness of the meat.
6. Let the cheese melt and mix up with the rest of the ingredients well.
7. Cook for a couple of minutes then set it aside until it is needed for assembling.

For Assembling

1. Take a medium sized baking dish.
2. Grease the bottom of the dish with cooking oil.
3. Layer some of the stuffing at the bottom.
4. Use a small spoon to stuff the manicotti with the prepared stuffing.
5. Line up each of the manicotti in the baking dish after they have been stuffed properly.
6. Pour the remaining stuffing on top of the manicotti.
7. Sprinkle grated mozzarella cheese on top of the stuffing.
8. Bake the Manicotti for 30 minutes.
9. Pull it out of the oven and garnish with freshly chopped parsley leaves to serve!

Trivia

• Although, Manicotti is a form of Pasta, many people prepare it using crepes.
• 3 to 4 Manicotti or sleeves of Pasta are considered as a generous serving.

Among all other forms of pasta, Manicotti and Cannelloni resemble a lot.