Those who have made manicotti before and have been scarred by the experience may want to run in the opposite direction from this recipe. But fear not: thanks to no-boil lasagna noodles, we have a dramatically streamlined manicotti recipe that does away with precooking the pasta and the fussy task of stuffing each pasta tube with filling. Though it requires a fraction of the work of a traditional manicotti preparation, this version tastes every bit as good.

This recipe involves making a basic tomato sauce to sauce and bake with the manicotti.

Manicotti can be assembled and sauced, covered with a sheet of parchment paper, wrapped in aluminum foil, and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month. (If frozen, thaw the manicotti in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days before baking.) In either case, increase the baking time to 1 to 1 ¼ hours.

Total Cooking Time: 90

Preparation Time: 15

Active Cooking Time: 45

Make Ahead: Assemble up to 3 days before baking

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Difficulty: Intermediate