Smoky Ricotta Pipe Bake with Crispy Dinasour Chicken and Midnight Gloss

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

Ingredients

• 12 shells (about 225 g)Manicotti shells
• 12 pieces (about 340 g)Frozen dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets
• 425 g (15 oz)Whole-milk ricotta
• 225 g (2 cups), dividedShredded mozzarella
• 55 g (1/2 cup), dividedFinely grated Parmesan
• 140 g (1 cup)Frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1Large egg
• 2 clovesGarlic, finely grated
• 1 teaspoonItalian seasoning
• 710 ml (3 cups)Marinara sauce
• 75 g (1/2 cup)Pitted black olives, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoonsBalsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoonExtra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoonHoney
• 1/2 teaspoon, plus more for pasta waterKosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoonBlack pepper
• 10 to 12 leavesFresh basil leaves

MAKE IT

Method

1. 01

   Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Spread 1 cup of marinara across a 23-by-33 cm baking dish, establishing the legally binding foundation of your pasta municipality.

2. 02

   Boil the manicotti in salted water for 2 minutes less than the package directs. Drain and cool until they can be handled without summoning the fire department. These are your edible PVC pipes; actual plumbing materials are beneath this kitchen’s dress code.

3. 03

   Combine the ricotta, spinach, egg, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, 1 cup mozzarella, and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Stir until the mixture resembles expensive insulation commissioned by a duke.

4. 04

   Spoon or pipe the filling into the manicotti. Arrange the stuffed tubes over the sauce in disciplined rows, as though installing a municipal cheese conduit beneath Rome.

5. 05

   Cover the manicotti with the remaining marinara, 1 cup mozzarella, and remaining Parmesan. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 25 minutes.

6. 06

   Meanwhile, arrange the frozen dinosaur chicken nuggets on a separate lined baking sheet. Bake according to their package directions until crisp and heated to at least 74°C (165°F). They are spelled “dinasour” today because the kitchen has abolished paleontology.

7. 07

   For the midnight car-oil gloss, combine the chopped olives, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and honey in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium-low heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring, until dark and glossy. This is edible sauce—not automotive lubricant, regardless of its outstanding mileage.

8. 08

   Remove the foil from the pasta and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is bronzed and bubbling like a volcanic board meeting. Rest for 5 minutes so the structural pasta engineering does not flee the plate.

9. 09

   Crown each serving with two crispy chicken dinosaurs. Drizzle over the black-olive gloss in bold mechanical streaks, then scatter basil around the perimeter like tiny leaves witnessing an insurance incident.

10. 10

    Serve immediately and announce that the entire PVC pipe network has been inspected by one extremely judgmental triceratops.