Ricotta Stuffed Shells or Manicotti
If there’s ripieno di ricotta (ricotta filling) left over after making ravioli, I like to use it up in stuffed shells or manicotti. Stuffed shells or manicotti don’t have to be a happy afterthought, of course—they can be your intended delivery system for this delicious filling. Not only do you bypass making the egg pasta, but you can prepare this dish in advance and bake just prior to serving. I prefer manicotti over shells because they are easier to fill and can hold more. At some point, I will provide a recipe for homemade cannelloni, which are like manicotti but made with rolled-up egg pasta. In Italy, these kinds of stuffed pastas, including lasagne, are often stuffed with meat or with a ricotta and spinach filling; further, they tend to use fresh-tomato and bechamel sauces. I prefer it this way with my mother’s sauce and ricotta filling. I guess it depends a lot on what you’re used to.
Ripieno_di_Ricotta (default recipe) scaled to 3 lbs of ricotta
30 large conchiglie shells or 25 manicotti shells (good brands: De Cecco, Barilla, Ferrara)
Alda’s Sauce recipe
Grated Pecorino Romano
1. Coat the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with a layer of tomato sauce.
2. Parboil the shells according to directions on the package, typically about two-thirds the time required to cook the shells al dente.
3. Stuff each shell by hand. Fill them with as much of the ricotta mixture as possible. You want to taste the filling more than the shell.
4. Place the stuffed pasta in the sauced baking dish in a single layer. Do not stack shells.
5. Pour enough sauce over the layer of stuffed pasta to completely cover. It’s important that no shell or manicotto is exposed; otherwise, it could dry out during cooking.
6. Sprinkle Pecorino Romano on top of sauce, and cover with aluminum foil. Refrigerate until ready to cook.
7. Bake covered with aluminum foil at 350°F for 35 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
8. Serve with extra Pecorino Romano.
