Creamy and cheesy, Manicotti is a quick and delicious weeknight dinner.
I think one of the things we home cooks love to do is find a recipe and then tweak it to make it our own. You know what I mean? You get a recipe and add an extra ingredient that you love, or you replace one the recipe calls for with one you think will work better. But sometimes you come across a recipe that is just perfect as it is, and that’s how I feel about this old-school, traditional Manicotti. The tender pasta and creamy filling covered with a bright marinara that comes out of the oven with the melty cheese on top is about as good as it gets. I wouldn’t change a thing!
According to the foodie historians, manicotti is one of the earliest pasta shapes. One source said that “mani” in Italian means “hands” and “cotti” means “coat,” so the word translates in English into “handcoat.” Do you remember muffs? I think they were the original “handcoats,” cylinders (often fake fur-lined) that we girls stuck our hands into to keep them warm walking to school on cold winter days. Those muffs were definitely similar in shape to manicotti! Another source translated “manicotti” to meaning sleeves; it’s the same idea — sleeves for your hands — but when we’re talking pasta, manicotti are sleeves just waiting to be stuffed with the most delicious cheese mixture.
The filling makes this dish so delectable. You have the sharp, tangy ricotta, the mellow mozzarella, and then that wonderful nuttiness from the Parmesan; the cheeses are all held together with a beaten egg, and then the mix takes on a bit of sweetness from the sugar, a bit of spice from the nutmeg, and some freshness from the parsley. It’s creamy and light and packed with the most wonderful flavor. Our recipe calls for topping the whole thing with some Parmesan during the last 5 minutes of baking, but I’ll confess that sometimes I add more shredded mozzarella on top, too.
Covering the stuffed pasta tubes with marinara ensures everything will cook perfectly. There are so many really excellent store-bought marinaras available these days, but when I’m making an Italian pasta dish, I really love to make my own: try this Tomato Sauce, and you’ll see why!
Tricks to Filling Manicotti
Although stuffed pasta dishes are delightful, they can be somewhat difficult to make because of the stuffing process. But here are some tips to make that process easier.
In our recipe, we suggest stuffing the dry pasta, instead of cooking it first. This is a terrific idea because the cooked tubes can be slippery and difficult to manage. To stuff the dry shells, you can use a pastry or piping bag, fill a Ziploc bag and cut a small hole in the bottom, or even use a spoon: any of these options work great, except you have to be gentle so that you don’t break the dry pasta tubes. If you find the dry shells too hard to work with, you can pre-cook the manicotti shells until they are slightly tender but not fully cooked: dry them with a paper towel and then use a spoon to fill them. By the way, these techniques work great with cannelloni and even the big rigatoni, which are not normally stuffed, but that doesn’t mean you can’t!
Ingredients
- 15 oz ricotta cheese
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg, ground
- 1 tbsp parsley, fresh and finely chopped
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 8 manicotti shells, uncooked
- 24 oz marinara sauce
How to Make Manicotti
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 2: In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, sugar, egg, nutmeg, parsley, salt, and pepper.
Step 3: Fill each uncooked manicotti shell with the cheese mixture, using a spoon or a piping bag.
Step 4: Place the filled manicotti in a single layer in a 9×13 inch baking dish.
Step 5: Heat the marinara sauce until it reaches a simmer, then pour it over the manicotti, making sure they are completely covered.
Step 6: Cover the dish with aluminum foil, sealing the edges to keep the steam in.
Step 7: Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes.
Step 8: Remove the foil, sprinkle additional parmesan cheese over the top, and bake uncovered for an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
FAQs & Tips
How to Make Ahead and Store?
Manicotti can be prepared through Step 6 and then either refrigerated for up to 8 hours or put in the freezer — in a freezer-safe dish and covered with a double-layer of aluminum foil—for up to 2 months; when you’re ready to bake, just continue with the recipe (add 10-15 minutes baking time if you put the frozen Manicotti in the oven, or thaw overnight in the fridge before baking). Cooked and cooled Manicotti can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Will low-fat cheeses work in this recipe?
Yes, they will, and all 3 come in low-fat, reduced-fat, or light versions. Also, you can replace the ricotta with cottage cheese, which typically has less fat and fewer calories (though there are low-fat versions of cottage cheese, too!)
Does this filling work for stuffed shells?
It does; in fact, you can follow this exact recipe when making stuffed shells!
Serving Suggestions
Manicotti goes perfectly with a crisp Kale Caesar and some Garlic Rolls, but there are lots of other veggie and bread sides that are wonderful accompaniments to this delicious Italian dish. You can toss any of your favorite salad greens in this delicious Italian Dressing and then serve this Blue Cheese and Onion Flatbread on the side. Or how about making Grilled Green Beans and then putting them on top of this Pizza Crust with some Ricotta with Honey and Herbs?
Manicotti makes a wonderful cheesy meal, but if you’re cooking for some die-hard carnivores, wait until you see how Manicotti lends itself to meat! You can make a pot of this amazing authentic Bolognese and ladle it on top of the pasta (just below the final Parmesan layer). Or try mixing this Shredded Chicken into the marinara. Or serve this Bacon Wrapped Sausage as a decadent (but so delicious) side with your Manicotti, and maybe serve some Roasted Brussels Sprouts, too.
Manicotti Recipe
Ingredients
- 15 oz ricotta cheese
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg ground
- 1 tbsp parsley fresh and finely chopped
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 8 manicotti shells uncooked
- 24 oz marinara sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, sugar, egg, nutmeg, parsley, salt, and pepper.
- Fill each uncooked manicotti shell with the cheese mixture, using a spoon or a piping bag.
- Place the filled manicotti in a single layer in a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Heat the marinara sauce until it reaches a simmer, then pour it over the manicotti, making sure they are completely covered.
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil, sealing the edges to keep the steam in.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes.
- Remove the foil, sprinkle additional parmesan cheese over the top, and bake uncovered for an additional 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
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