The Manicotti Code

I was thinking of making stuffed manicotti (those large, tube-shaped pasta shells).

But all the recipes I've looked at say to cook the pasta first, then bake it. That seems counter-intuitive. After 30 minutes in an oven, the cooked pasta is going to turn to mush.

I would think of stuffing the uncooked shells, then compensating with a little more liquid, be it tomato sauce or broth, so that the pasta would absorb it while baking and be al dente at the end.

Any learned opinions on the matter?