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    February 29, 2024

    Manicotti

    We love stuffed manicotti with a side salad and crusty garlic bread for a satisfying meal–and did we mention the leftovers are simply divine?!

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    homemade manicotti in a 9x13 baking dish
    Photography by Gayle McLeod

    More pasta bakes

    Tuck Into This Dish Of Baked Manicotti

    We think that there can never be enough pasta dishes in our family recipe box, and this easy manicotti recipe is a real winner in our kitchens. Manicotti noodles were invented to be stuffed with a rich cheesy filling and baked in sauce. To balance out all that cheese, we suggest making a side Italian Salad, Broccolini, or Green Beans Almondine. If you love a good pasta bake, check out our Baked Rigatoni or any of our Pasta Recipes.

    ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, eggs, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, marinara, and manicotti in bowls

    Ingredients For Homemade Manicotti

    • Noodles – aka manicotti, aka “little sleeves”

    • Cheese – ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan

    • Seasoning – classic Italian seasoning plus chopped fresh parsley

    • Sauce – a jar of marinara

    • Eggs – we use two to bind the cheese filling and add texture while it bakes

    • More cheese – fresh mozzarella gets dotted across the top of the manicotti before you bake it

    ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, eggs, parsley, garlic clove, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl
    cooked manicotti pasta noodles on a baking sheet next to a pastry bag full of manicotti filling
    stuffed manicotti noodles in a baking dish with marinara sauce
    stuffed manicotti noodles in a baking dish covered with marinara sauce and topped with dollops of fresh mozzarella

    How To Make Manicotti

    1. Preheat the oven to 350°F degrees.

    2. Cook the manicotti according to the package directions, being careful not to overcook as this will result in a noodle that will easily break.

    3. Make the manicotti filling in a medium bowl–mix cheese, eggs, parsley, garlic clove, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.

    4. Prepare the filling. Fill your pastry bag or zip-top bag with the cheese filling.

    5. Stuff the shells! See our tips to make this as easy as possible.

    6. Spread half the marinara sauce in a casserole dish, arranging the manicotti shells in an even layer.

    7. Cover with the remaining marinara sauce and dot with fresh mozzarella.

    8. Bake covered for 20 minutes, and uncovered for another 20 minutes or until the cheese is nice and bubbly!

    manicotti in a baking dish covered with foil ready to be baked in the oven
    homemade manicotti made with ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan. toped with marinara sauce and fresh mozzarella

    How to Store Leftovers + Tips

    • Pastry bag kitchen hack: Use a zip-top plastic bag and cut the tip off of one corner. Voilà! Instant pastry bag. Fill your pastry bag (or zip-top bag) with the cheese filling and get ready to fill the pasta!

    • How do you fill manicotti shells? We find that partially filling the manicotti from one side, and then finishing piping from the other side, to be the easiest way to avoid breakage.

    • Leftovers can be stored for 3-4 days. If you’re freezing this recipe, we suggest stopping just before adding the mozzarella and the final bake, wrapping the dish in plastic wrap and then foil, and storing for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to bake, add the mozzarella then you can pop it in the oven and bake until an instant-read thermometer reaches 165°F degrees.

    homemade manicotti made with ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan. toped with marinara sauce and fresh mozzarella
    homemade manicotti in a casserole dish being served with a serving spoon next to bowl of pepper and parmesan for garnishing

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    Manicotti

    Updated on February 29, 2024

    • Serves: 6
    • Prep Time:  20 min
    • Cook Time:  50 min
    • Calories: 307
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    Ingredients

    • 8 ounces manicotti
    • 16 ounces ricotta cheese
    • 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
    • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
    • 2 large eggs, beaten
    • ½ cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley
    • 1 garlic clove, grated
    • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    • ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, plus more for serving
    • 1 (24-ounce) jar marinara sauce, store-bought or homemade
    • 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into 1-inch cubes

    Method

    1. Preheat the oven to 350°F degrees with a rack in the center position.

    2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and salt it. Add the manicotti and cook until al dente according to package instructions. Drain the pasta, then rinse with cold water.

    3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, shredded mozzarella, Parmesan, eggs, parsley, garlic, Italian seasoning, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper. Transfer the cheese mixture to a piping bag or zip top bag with the corner trimmed with a 1-inch opening. Fill the manicotti. (see Note)

    4. Add half of the marinara sauce to the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Arrange the filled manicotti in an even layer. Cover with remaining sauce and top with cubed mozzarella.

    5. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and discard the foil. Transfer the baking dish back to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the cheese on top is melted and the sauce is bubbly, about 20 minutes.

    6. Serve topped with additional Parmesan and freshly cracked black pepper.


    Note: To avoid breaking the pasta tube while filling, fill half the manicotti through one end and then continue filling through the other end.

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories307
    • Protein21 g
    • Carbohydrates17 g
    • Total Fat18 g
    • Dietary Fiber3 g
    • Cholesterol113 mg
    • sodium787 mg
    • Total Sugars2 g

    Manicotti

    Questions & Reviews

    Join the discussion below.

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    • Karen

      Could you freeze this and bake later?

      Sure!

    • Jordan

      Absolutely amazing. I did add beef and a shallot. However, I only had lasagna noodles. I panicked and made it as lasagna instead and layered the mozzarella in between. It was absolutely delicious!! Will make it right once I find those noodles.

      Glad you loved it Jordan!

    • Tresa

      My husband and I loved this.The flavors of all the different cheeses mixed together really hit the spot.

      Thanks Tresa, glad you loved it!

    • Jenn

      This is definitely a keeper for meatless Mondays, so delicious!

      Thanks Jenn!