This Stuffed Manicotti Recipe is a hearty, cheesy, comforting dish you are going to want to make over and over again. The rich, flavorful manicotti filling is made with a mix of ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese with Italian seasoning. The layer of marinara sauce and added melty, bubbling cheese on top is chef’s kiss!
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When you pull a bubbling dish of cheesy, saucy stuffed pasta shells from the oven, you're going to be so glad you learned how to make manicotti! Pair it with a crisp green salad and you'll have a restaurant-quality Italian dinner ready to go.
If you like easy recipes with noodles and tons of flavor, next be sure to try our Italian Pasta Salad, Chicken Noodle Soup, and Chicken Alfredo Lasagna.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: Manicotti ingredients are mostly pantry staples. Get yourself a great sauce and high-quality cheeses and this pasta dish is sure to impress!
- Kid Favorite: Let’s be honest, adults and kids alike are fans of this Italian dish. There’s something nostalgic about digging into those cheesy shells! This is one of our family’s favorite Italian dishes.
- Dinner in an Hour: On days when you want a homemade meal on the table in less than an hour, this manicotti recipe with ricotta is a great option.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: We love making this dish the day before a potluck. Just pull it out of the oven, let it come to room temperature, then bake to perfection!
Stuffed Manicotti Ingredients
- Manicotti Pasta Shells: Manicotti are large, tube-shaped or shell-shaped pasta that are perfect for stuffing. Undercook manicotti noodles slightly to prevent tearing when stuffing.
- Pasta Sauce: Choose a high-quality jarred marinara or use homemade if you have it. We recommend a simple tomato basil sauce but you could also use a meat sauce.
- Frozen Spinach: The key is getting the frozen spinach dry. After it’s completely thawed, squeeze it repeatedly in a clean kitchen towel or paper towel until no more liquid comes out, that way the filling won't be watery.
- Ricotta Cheese: This is the star of the filling and gives a creamy, slightly sweet flavor. We recommend whole milk ricotta but you could also use part-skim. Drain excess liquid with a fine mesh strainer.
- Mozzarella Cheese: Mozzarella adds a stretchy, melty texture to the cheese stuffed manicotti. You can use pre-shredded or shred your own from a block. You'll keep some to put on the golden top layer when it bakes.
- Parmesan Cheese: Gives a salty, nutty flavor. In addition to being in the filling, we also recommend having extra grated parm on the table when you serve this dish!
- Eggs: Act as a binder to hold the filling together while it bakes. Bring the eggs to room temperature so they incorporate evenly into the cheese mixture.
- Italian Seasoning: A blend of basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, and marjoram. Having the blend ready in one spice mix is an easy and fast way to add classic Italian flavor.
- Minced Garlic: Provides aromatic flavor. You can use freshly minced raw garlic or from the jar.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Add Meat: Add a pound of browned ground beef, Italian sausage, or ground turkey to the cheese mixture.
- Add Veggies: Sauté finely diced onions, bell peppers, zucchini, and mushrooms and add to the cheese filling for extra flavor.
- Pesto Version: For an even more rich version of the manicotti, stir a ¼ cup of basil pesto into the cheese mixture and top with pine nuts at the end.
- Add Fresh Herbs: Fresh chopped basil goes really well sprinkled into the cheese mixture. It gives a pop of green color, too.
How to Make Stuffed Manicotti Recipe
Here are all the steps for how to make stuffed manicotti. Before you get started, preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Step 1: Cook the Pasta. Cook the manicotti shells until they're firm but not too soft, only about 5 minutes. Rinse them in cold water and drain.
- Step 2: Make the Filling. In a large bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, frozen spinach, 1½ cups mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, eggs, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, and garlic.
- Step 3: Stuff the Shells. Scoop the ricotta mixture into a large piping bag or freezer bag with a corner trimmed off. Fill each shell with the cheese mixture.
- Step 4: Assemble. Add ½ cup of pasta sauce to the bottom of your pre-greased baking dish, then place the stuffed shells on top. Top with the remaining sauce and cheese.
- Step 5: Bake. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for 10 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and golden and the pasta is tender.
Hint: If You’re Adding Meat
If you do add ground beef or Italian sausage to the baked manicotti recipe, be sure to drain the excess oil so the final dish doesn’t end up too greasy.
Expert Tips
- To Avoid Making a Mess: To fill the bag without the cheese mixture falling all over the place, use a tall glass as a holder so it has stability while you're filling it.
- To Avoid the Pasta Breaking: Scoop it out from the boiling water with a steel spider scoop rather than dumping them into a strainer. This way they can't stick together and tear.
- Don’t Overcook the Pasta: If you cook the pasta for too long, it can get mushy or fall apart. Al dente is preferred especially since the pasta will continue to cook while it’s baking.
Storage Directions
- Storing: Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Store the covered dish in the freezer for up to 3 months. If you bake it straight from frozen, you'll need to add at least 30 minutes to the cooking time.
- Reheating: Reheat the dish in the microwave on medium heat for 30-60 second intervals until it is heated through.
- Make Ahead: If you’re bringing manicotti to a special gathering and want to prep it the day before, you can make this a day ahead of time. Do all of the steps up to covering the baking pan with foil, then just store it in the fridge overnight. Take it out an hour ahead to get it close to room temperature before baking. You may have to add a few minutes to the baking time.
Serving Suggestions
Stuffed manicotti shells are a great main course served with other Italian sides. Have them for a quick weeknight family dinner or bring to a large gathering to feed a crowd at the holidays. The leftovers are yummy too, although they don’t usually last long in our house!
- Garnish with fresh chopped parsley or basil for a hint of freshness and a beautiful pop of green color against the red sauce. Provide extra warmed up marinara sauce and extra freshly grated Parmesan for those who want extra.
- Serve with a simple green salad or cucumbers and tomatoes and freshly baked garlic knots for a well-rounded comfort food meal.
- If you're serving a lot of hungry guests, you could pair the manicotti with a starter soup like creamy tortellini soup or lasagna soup.
- For dessert, make chocolate chip cheesecake bars or cookies and cream cookies.
Recipe FAQs
You can use a piping bag or a freezer-size Ziploc bag with one of the corners cut off. You could also use a small spoon to fill each piece of pasta but it's a bit more tedious.
This typically happens when the shells are overcooked. Make sure to slightly undercook the manicotti (about 5-6 minutes) so they're still firm enough to hold their shape during filling. Also, let them cool completely after cooking and handle them gently.
Absolutely! You'll need about 10 ounces of fresh spinach to equal 1 cup of frozen. Cook the fresh spinach in a large skillet until wilted, then let it cool and squeeze out all excess moisture. Chop it finely before adding to your cheese mixture.
More Delicious Pasta Recipes
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Stuffed Manicotti Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 manicotti pasta shells
- 26 ounces pasta sauce
- 16 ounces ricotta cheese
- ½ cup frozen spinach drained and squeezed dry
- 2 ½ cups mozzarella cheese shredded and divided
- 1 cup parmesan cheese shredded and divided
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ and spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with a non-stick cooking spray.
- Cook manicotti shells until they're firm but not too soft. Then, rinse them in cold water and drain thoroughly.
- Add ricotta cheese, frozen spinach, 1½ cups mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, eggs, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, and garlic in a large bowl. Mix until well combined.
- Scoop the ricotta cheese mixture into a large piping bag or freezer bag and trim off a corner. Fill each of the manicotti shells with the ricotta cheese mixture.
- Add ½ cup of pasta sauce to the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish, then place the filled shells on top. Top with the remaining sauce and cheese.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 35-40 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for 10 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and the pasta is tender.
Notes
- Undercook the pasta slightly so the manicotti shells stay firm enough to stuff them without tearing.
- Stand your piping bag or ziplock bag in a tall glass while filling it with the cheese mixture to prevent spills.
- Remove all excess moisture from your thawed spinach to prevent the filling being watery.
- Spread a thin layer of sauce to the bottom of the baking dish before adding the stuffed shells. This helps prevent them from sticking.
- You can prep the entire dish the day before if needed. Bring it to room temperature before baking.
Nutrition
*All nutrition information provided is automatically calculated and is an estimate and will vary based on ingredients, brands, and changes in cooking methods listed in the recipe. If you need exact numbers on your ingredients, I would recommend calculating them with your prefered nutrition calculator.
Ryan Allen
This Stuffed Manicotti is pure comfort! The tender pasta, creamy ricotta filling, and rich sauce come together beautifully.