Description
This classic manicotti recipe features pasta tubes filled with a creamy spinach and ricotta mixture, baked in rich marinara sauce and topped with melted mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. It’s a comforting Italian-American dish perfect for family dinners or special occasions.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt plus more for pasta water
- 1 (8- to 10-ounce) package manicotti
Filling
- 1 (10-ounce) package chopped frozen spinach
- 1 (15-ounce) container part-skim ricotta cheese or whole milk ricotta
- 2 cups shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese, divided (about 8 ounces)
- ¾ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 3 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Sauce and Garnish
- 1 (14-ounce) jar good quality marinara sauce, divided
- Thinly sliced fresh basil or chopped fresh parsley for serving
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 350°F. Lightly coat a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray to prepare for cooling the manicotti.
- Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the manicotti until just below al dente, about 3 minutes or as instructed on the package. The pasta should be slightly chewy and not fully cooked. Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove the manicotti and spread them in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet to cool. Reserve about 14 whole tubes for filling, discarding broken pieces.
- Prepare Spinach: Place frozen chopped spinach in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute, stir, then continue microwaving for 1 to 2 more minutes until completely thawed. Allow the spinach to cool to near room temperature if it becomes very hot.
- Make Filling: To the cooled spinach, add ricotta cheese, 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella, ½ cup of Parmesan, the room-temperature egg, minced garlic, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ground nutmeg. Stir well to combine into a creamy filling.
- Assemble Manicotti: Coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Spread 1 cup of marinara sauce evenly on the bottom. Using a piping bag or a large zip-top bag with a corner snipped off, fill each manicotti tube with the spinach-ricotta mixture. Arrange the filled manicotti in a single layer in the baking dish.
- Add Sauce and Cheese: Spoon the remaining marinara sauce evenly over the stuffed manicotti. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup shredded mozzarella and ¼ cup Parmesan cheese to top.
- Bake: Bake the manicotti uncovered in the preheated oven until hot, bubbly, and the cheese is melted and golden, about 30 to 35 minutes.
- Rest and Serve: Let the baked manicotti stand for 5 minutes after removing from the oven. Garnish with thinly sliced fresh basil or chopped parsley before serving.
Notes
- Storage: Store leftover baked manicotti in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: To prepare as a freezer meal, assemble the manicotti then wrap tightly with plastic wrap followed by foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before baking according to the recipe instructions.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 19 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
