Pat Hoffmeister of Coppell, Texas, had a problem with her pasta.
"Do you know an easy way to stuff manicotti?" she asked. "I'm always splitting them when I try."
To try and help Pat, we posted her question on our website, and Elise Legaspi of Oxnard, Calif., came swooping in with a terrific answer.
"I put the filling in a gallon-size, zip-top plastic bag," Elise said. "I snip off one of the corners and squeeze away."
Fill one side of the manicotti shell, Elise continued, and then turn it around and fill the other side.
"This works like a charm for lots of things like deviled eggs and cream puffs," she said.
(You can also use a quart-size bag for a smaller recipe, like the one today.)
Thanks so much to Elise for her great tips and also to Alicia, who created today's Spinach Manicotti for you to try. If you have a cooking question and would like help from Kitchen Scoop readers, just e-mail us at tellus@KitchenScoop.com.
Menu suggestion: Spinach Manicotti, Fruit salad, Breadsticks
Spinach Manicotti
Start to finish: 30 minutes
1/2 package manicotti shells (7 pieces, or 4 ounces)
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup finely diced onion
2 cups firmly packed baby spinach leaves
1 clove garlic
8 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese
1 large egg
1 cup prepared tomato-based pasta sauce of choice
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Cook the manicotti shells according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray a small casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray, and set aside.
In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, spinach and garlic. Stir and toss until the spinach wilts, about two minutes. Remove from heat.
In a medium bowl, combine the spinach mixture, ricotta cheese and egg. Mix well. Scrape the cheese mixture into a quart-size, zip-top plastic bag. Cut one corner off the bag to make a small diagonal slit. Using the bag like a pastry bag, squirt the cheese mixture into both sides of each manicotti shell until filled. Repeat with each shell. Place the filled shells into prepared casserole dish. Top with pasta sauce and mozzarella cheese.
Bake 10 minutes or until heated through and beginning to bubble along edges.
Yield: 3 generous servings.
Approximate values per shell: 181 calories (39 percent from fat), 8 g fat (3.5 g saturated), 45 mg cholesterol, 10 g protein, 18 g carbohydrates, 2 g dietary fiber, 263 mg sodium.
Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross are co-authors of "Desperation Dinners!" (Workman, 1997), "Desperation Entertaining!" (Workman, 2002) and "Cheap. Fast. Good!" (Workman, 2006). Contact them at Desperation Dinners, c/o United Media, 200 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016, or send e-mail to tellus@kitchenscoop.com. Or visit the Desperation Dinners website at www.kitchenscoop.com.