Salmon Manicotti

Forget the usual ricotta-and-sausage routine. These manicotti tubes get stuffed with a filling of mashed pink salmon, broccoli florets, and cottage cheese bound with egg for a lighter, brighter baked pasta.

The sauce is a simple white sauce spiked with dill and finished with lemon juice, which brings a clean, herby brightness that pairs naturally with the salmon. No heavy cream here. Skim milk and flour do the thickening, keeping the whole dish from feeling like a brick.

A thin layer of sauce goes on the bottom of the baking dish first (this prevents the manicotti from sticking and drying out), then the stuffed tubes line up in a single layer. The rest of the sauce blankets the top, and a shower of grated Parmesan crisps up in the oven over 30 to 35 minutes.

Chef Tips

• Use canned pink salmon for convenience and mash it well with a fork. Remove any large bones and skin if you prefer a smoother filling.
• Cook the manicotti shells just barely al dente. They soften further in the oven, and overcooked shells tear when you try to stuff them.
• A piping bag or zip-lock bag with a corner snipped off makes filling manicotti tubes much cleaner than using a spoon.
• The broccoli should be well-drained and chopped small so it distributes evenly inside the tubes.

Variations

• Use ricotta instead of cottage cheese for a creamier, richer filling.
• Swap broccoli for spinach and add a pinch of nutmeg to the filling.
• Try canned tuna in place of salmon for a more budget-friendly version.