Manicotti

Manicotti (‘sleeves’) are the subject of some confusion. In the USA, where manicotti probably originate, the term often refers to a baked dish of stuffed tubular pasta rather than the pasta itself. Dried tubes of pasta are often sold as cannelloni although cannelloni, at least originally, are sheets of pasta rolled around a filling, rather than extruded tubes that need to be stuffed from the ends. Whilst these dried smooth tubes are not normally named as such, they are likely the original manicotti. There is no doubt that the ridged versions, like ruffled sleeves of fabric, are indeed manicotti. These in turn should not be confused with the Italian pasta, maniche, which are similar to rigatoni and served only occasionally baked, and never stuffed.