Manicotti Shells -- The Kind of Meal That Feeds More Than Just Hunger

I made Deborah from Memphis's slow cooker chicken and dumplings. I want to be clear that I did not modify this recipe in any way. I followed her instructions exactly, which means: Aldi chicken breasts, cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, biscuit dough from the refrigerated tube, a bag of frozen mixed vegetables. It was the kind of meal that tastes like someone's grandmother made it on purpose for you specifically, and I ate two bowls over the kitchen counter while Patty had the babies in the other room, and then I went into the living room and told Patty it was done and she could go, and I sat on the couch with Owen and Nora and thought about Deborah in Memphis in 1991 with her own twins and the fact that this recipe crossed thirty-two years and eleven hundred miles to get to my kitchen on a Tuesday night. Food does this. Community does this.

The blog is becoming something different than it was before the babies. It was always personal, always specific, but now it is also about people who need the same things I need and are finding each other in the comments section. People share their own one-handed recipes. People share their NICU stories. Someone wrote that they made the freezer burritos and cried because it felt like taking care of themselves for the first time since their baby came home. I read that at 4 AM while feeding Nora and I sat there in the dark and felt the specific weight of being connected to other people across distance and time by the very ordinary act of feeding yourself and your family.

This week's real-life practicalities: Ryan off Thursday and Friday, which meant two mornings where I slept past 7 AM for the first time since February. Owen went four hours twice in one night, which is officially a personal record. Nora has started reaching for things with focused intention, which means everything on the coffee table is now at risk.

I have started thinking about September again. The sub has been doing a good job with my class — my principal sends monthly updates because she knows me — but I miss it. I miss the kids. I miss having a reason to get dressed and leave the house before 8 AM. I miss being a teacher, which I am still, even when I am also this other thing, this new thing, this mother-of-two-premature-babies-learning-to-cook-one-handed thing.

Deborah’s chicken and dumplings reminded me that the best recipes are the ones built for exactly this — feeding yourself when you’re tired and full of feeling and just need something warm that works. Manicotti is another one of those meals: it looks like effort and tastes like care, but it asks almost nothing from you except a box of pasta and a willingness to let the oven do the rest. It’s the kind of dish I keep coming back to when I want to feel like I made something real, something that would hold up across a table of people I love.

Manicotti Shells

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 45 min | Total Time: 1 hr 5 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 box (8 oz) manicotti shells
• 2 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 1/2 cups marinara sauce, divided
• Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish and spread 1 cup of marinara sauce across the bottom.
2. Cook the pasta. Boil the manicotti shells in salted water for 2 minutes less than the package directions (they will finish cooking in the oven). Drain carefully and lay flat on a lightly oiled baking sheet to prevent sticking.
3. Make the filling. In a large bowl, stir together the ricotta, 1 1/2 cups of the mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until well combined.
4. Stuff the shells. Spoon the filling into a zip-top bag and snip one corner, or use a small spoon, to fill each manicotti shell. Nestle stuffed shells side by side in a single layer in the prepared baking dish.
5. Top and cover. Pour the remaining 1 1/2 cups of marinara evenly over the shells. Scatter the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella on top. Cover tightly with foil.
6. Bake. Bake covered for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown at the edges.
7. Rest and serve. Let the pan rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley if you have it.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 390 | Protein: 22g | Fat: 15g | Carbs: 43g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 710mg