Manicotti Near You

What is Manicotti?

When translated, “manicotti” means sleeve. Once you take a look at the manicotti pasta, you can understand exactly why this is!

Essentially large, stuffed tubes of pasta, manicotti is a popular Italian-American dish known all over the world. Available in a few flavor varieties, the manicotti recipe can be changed up and played with indefinitely. The traditional version, however, features ricotta cheese, ground beef, marinara sauce, and a cheese mixture on top.

Today, we’d like to go over the history, flavors, and nutritional value of this iconic Italian dish. If you’d like to learn more about it, stick around! If, however, you’re here to get some restaurant recommendations, scroll to the bottom of the page.

What Nationality is Manicotti?

Manicotti is an Italian dish through and through. The Italian-American version of the widely-loved cannelloni, manicotti has been around for quite some time now and is among the most popular comfort foods around.

When history is in question, we can take a trip as far back as ancient times. Given that manicotti is such a simple type of pasta, it was easy for people back then to make and store it.

The first step in the preparation process was to make long sheets of pasta. Once that was done, the sheet got cut into smaller strips, which were then rolled into a tube shape. Then, the manicotti shells were left to dry and harden. Pasta had a long shelf life back then too, so the manicotti was an easy dish that was able to be filled with whatever was on hand.

As for the modern version of this stuffed pasta, we can trace its rise in popularity to the 20th century. Even though the dish did exist beforehand, not a lot of people outside Italy knew about it. Thanks to immigration, the recipe traveled to the US where it took a life of its own.

Today, you can find this type of pasta in every Italian restaurant across the US. Fillings range from traditional and meaty to dairy and meat-free, vegetable versions and more. The shells can be store bought, although many restaurants prefer to prepare homemade manicotti for that extra authentic flavor.

What is Manicotti Made From?

The base for the manicotti shells is made of semolina flour, water, and in some versions - eggs. Different regions in Italy use different methods to prepare their pasta dough, so the eggs are optional. However, semolina flour is mandatory everywhere!

Once mixed in, the ingredients form a dough that is then kneaded and rolled out thinly. Then, 3 to 4 inch-long strips are cut and rolled. As manicotti is a different pasta variation than cannelloni, they receive a ribbed texture. However, everything else stays the same.

Once cut, the strips are then rolled up and left to rest. When cooking time comes, your chef will prepare the filling and put it in a piping bag for easy filling. Before he places the manicotti in a baking dish, he’ll lay down a layer of marinara sauce to add moisture and flavor to the recipe.

The manicotti is then topped with shredded mozzarella cheese and baked for about 30 minutes. Once the cheese is melted and the dough is browned, the dish is ready to be served and enjoyed!

Is Manicotti Healthy?

As with every dish, the nutritional value of this Italian delicacy depends on its filling and how you like to enjoy it. If you prefer a meat-heavy version with lots of cheese and sauce, you may be looking at a meal with many calories.

However, if you prefer a lighter, veggie-based dish, the caloric intake will be lower.

Either way, at Slice we believe that every dish, no matter its calorie value, deserves to be enjoyed! Because of this, we urge everyone to allow themselves the treat they’re craving, even if it doesn’t fit traditional health standards.

Sometimes, comfort food is much better for us than any healthier food out there, so remember that!

However, for the sake of transparency, we’re including the nutritional value of a typical serving of cheese-filled manicotti: 222 calories, 11g fat, 16g carbs, and 14g protein. Any additions will increase these values, so consult your chef for more accurate information.

Manicotti Restaurants Near Me

Now that you know everything there is to know about manicotti and its variations, we can finally recommend some restaurants! Our short list will include only a few cities, but you can search our website for a restaurant nearer you.

For delicious manicotti in Houston, visit Fornos of Italy or Pizza Love. Both are amazing options we really liked!

In Philly, we’d like to highlight Luigi's Pizza Fresca.

Finally, if you’re in Vegas, you can enjoy amazing Italian dishes at Verdi Pizza.

We hope you found our manicotti overview fun and that all this learning opened up an appetite! Your very own manicotti is just a click away, so go ahead and order. A restaurant near you is already expecting your order!