Description
A comforting Italian-American dish, baked cheese-stuffed manicotti features tender pasta tubes filled with a rich ricotta cheese mixture, topped with marinara sauce and melted mozzarella.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 12 manicotti shells
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (or 1 tsp dried)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups marinara sauce
- Nonstick cooking spray or olive oil (for greasing baking dish)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Cook manicotti shells according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside to cool.
- In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix until smooth.
- Spoon the cheese mixture into a piping bag or zip-top bag with the tip cut off. Fill each manicotti shell carefully.
- Spread 1 cup of marinara sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange the filled manicotti in a single layer on top.
- Pour remaining marinara sauce over the manicotti and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden.
- Let rest for 5–10 minutes before serving. Garnish with additional parsley if desired.
Notes
- Make it ahead: assemble and refrigerate up to 24 hours before baking.
- Use store-bought or homemade marinara sauce.
- Try adding spinach or ground meat to the cheese mixture for variation.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 stuffed manicotti
- Calories: 410
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 580mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 85mg