Kitchen Tip: Stuffed Pasta – The Easy Way!
Have you ever wondered how to stuff pasta shells? I have a super quick tip that makes the task easier than ever! Read on to learn the easiest way to stuff pasta!
Do you have trouble with stuffed shells or filling manicotti?
Some of you might already use this method for stuffing pasta, but I thought I’d share it anyway. It makes my life so much easier.
I really enjoy recipes like Sundried Tomato and Cheese Stuffed Shells and Manicotti Primavera.
But, what a pain to make and fill, right? WRONG! Not when you use this tip for stuffing pasta!
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In the picture I’m not holding the shell with one hand and the bag with the other because I had to press the button on the camera, but you get the idea.
This makes cooking stuffed shells seem like a lot less work, doesn’t it? Or, dare I say – Easy!?
How to Stuff Pasta – The Easy Way
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Save this Kitchen Tip How to Stuff Pasta the EASY Way to Pinterest!
Tools Needed to Stuff Pasta
- Pasta
- Disposable pastry bag or quart size ziplock
- Tall cup
- Scissors
- Filling
Instructions for Filling Pasta
Fill a disposable pastry bag or ziplock bag (quart size works great) with the filling you’ve made for your pasta.
The easiest way to do this is to place the bag in a tall cup, then fold the edges over the outside of the cup.
Spoon the filling into the cup – don’t fill it up too high because you’ll need to hold on to the end of the bag.
Remove the bag from the cup and twist or fold over the end so the filling doesn’t escape.
Snip the corner to make a small hole.
You’ll want to make sure it’s big enough for the filling to come out but not so big that it oozes everywhere.
Try cutting off about 1/2 inch from the tip of the bag’s corner.
Hold your shell in one hand and the bag in the other.
Hold the bag almost exactly how you’d hold a pastry bag if you were frosting something.
Squeeze with gentle pressure because you don’t want to pop the bag.
Squeeze the filling into the shell.
Set aside and repeat with the rest.
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How to Stuff Pasta – The Easy Way!
Have you ever wondered how to stuff pasta shells? I have a super quick tip that makes the task easier than ever!
Materials
- Pasta, such as manicotti or jumbo shells
- Pasta Filling
- Disposable pastry bag or quart size ziplock
- Tall cup
Tools
- Scissors
Instructions
- Fill a disposable pastry bagor ziplock bag (quart size works great) with the filling you've made for your pasta.
- The easiest way to do this is to place the bag in a tall cup, then fold the edges over the outside of the cup.
- Spoon the filling into the cup - don't fill it up too high because you'll need to hold on to the end of the bag.
- Remove the bag from the cup and twist or fold over the end so the filling doesn't escape.
- Snip the corner to make a small hole.
- You'll want to make sure it's big enough for the filling to come out but not so big that it oozes everywhere.
- Try cutting off about 1/2 inch from the tip of the bag's corner.
- Hold your shell in one hand and the bag in the other.
- Hold the bag almost exactly how you'd hold a pastry bag if you were frosting something.
- Squeeze with gentle pressure because you don't want to pop the bag.
- Squeeze the filling into the shell.
- Set aside and repeat with the rest.
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Let me know if you try this tip and what you think of it by leaving a comment below.
Save this Kitchen Tip How to Stuff Pasta the EASY Way to Pinterest!
Do you know if there is a no-boil manicotti as there is a no-boil lasagna noodle?
I haven’t seen any before in my stores.
Please the recipe of the mixture.
you can find that here http://www.goodlifeeats.com/2010/10/manicotti-primavera.html
I use this method to fill devilled eggs
Great idea…will definitely try the next time I make stuffed shells. By the way, is that a Corian counter top you are working on? Just curious, as I work for DuPont and work directly with Corian.
Yes it is Corian.
Can u please teach me your version of the filling? Thanx so much, Godbless!
The filling was leftovers from this recipe as I mentioned in the post: http://www.goodlifeeats.com/2010/10/manicotti-primavera.html
I’m sure this is a silly question, but do you stuff after pasta shells have been cooked? or do you stuff then cook? and if you do the second option how do you cook that??
Sincerely,
a humble new cook 🙂
I boil the pasta shells, but just a minute or two less than package instructions for pasta, stuff, then add to a casserole pan with sauce, cover and bake.
I use this technique all the time. I fill Deviled eggs, decorate cookies, decorate cupcakes… It works so well!
The filling in this picture looks so tasty! recipe please!!!!! 🙂
The filling recipe is from Manicotti Primavera.
I use this tip as well!! Great post!! Question, the picture you took, what is that fillings recipe? It looks delicious!! 🙂
The filling is from the Manicotti Primavera recipe.
oooo why didnt I think of that! I always fight with a spoon and the filling
@Angie — Bigbearswife, you can use a spoon, but it works best with a tiny spoon, like you’d feed a baby with. Gets tedious fast tho.
Clever!
I make a lot of decorated cakes and I have a lot of decorator bags and tips, so this makes a ton of sense to me! Your method of filling the bag is the same method I use for filling a bag of frosting and I bet it would also make building ravioli easier too!
So much better than trying to get sticky filling off a spoon and into a pasta shell!
I’m sure you’ve made a lot of foodies apply their palm to their forehead over this one. 😀 DOH!
Thanks for sharing the great tip.
Matt Kay
I know that I did the big “DAH !!!” thing !!! LOL… I do this for decorating candy & cookies with melted chocolate, why did I never think of it for shells???!!!
I use this technique too, such a time/mess saver! I agree that filling looks delicious, I might have to make it! For those wondering how to do tube shells, I’ve read that you should fill one end(using the bag tip above), turn it around and fill the other. I haven’t tried it (my husband isn’t a huge pasta fan..boo!) but it seems to make sense!
Yes, I use this technique and it is such a time and mess saver
Great tip! Definitely one of those”why didn’t I think of this before” kind of things. I actually used this technique tonight, and it sure made things easier! 🙂
You are so smart, Katie! I love this tip!!
Well, I’ve thought to do that with stuffed eggs, don’t know why I didn’t think of it with shells! LOL! Thanks!
What a great tip! That photo made me hungry. Do you have a suggestion for making the filling?
I use the baggie technique to fill my deviled eggs too!
What a great idea!!! Stuffed shells just got sooo much easier! Thanks.
Thank you for sharing easy way to stuff pasta shell. I am so curious as to what is the filling made out of, as it looks so great and colorful.
Hi Pam – the filling is leftovers from the Manicotti Primavera that I linked to in this post.
Oh my… the light bulb just went on for me! i felt incredibly frustrated when i made canneloni not long ago… I said i’ll never do it again because it took FOREVER to fill them! THE answer is right here. How did i not know this. thanks so much for an enlightening moment! cheers kari
That’s how I do it! Even easier if you use an actual pastry bag that is cone shaped.
I prefer the pastry bag too. 🙂
How do you fill pasta tubes with this method, such as manicotti? I have always had trouble evenly dispersing the filling through the entire length of the tube without breaking the pasta.
This might not be very helpful, but I’ve never done anything special. I just squeeze it in through one end till it gets to the other side.
To fill the manicotti, you can also use the Ziploc bag but fill the tube half way from one end and then turn and fill from the other end:)
brilliant! I’ll post a link on my edible crafts column to your idea (ediblecrafts.craftgossip.com)… if that’s OK!
I love this- Have you ever used the ziplock trick for icing cupcakes?
Yes, I’ve done that too. I do like a pastry bag better, but when I’ve been out of them I’ve used a ziplock instead.
Thanks for this! I love stuffed shells, but I always dread the stuffing part! 🙂
I totally do this – a major time saver and mess saver!!
this is such a neat idea! it makes stuffing pasta look so clean and easy. i can’t believe i never thought of this before. thanks!
what a great idea! i always struggle w/ this and so i restrain myself from making all these tasty shells/manacotti recipes. or i make my husband fill them because he has more patience than i do. thanks for the tip!