Cheese Spinach Manicotti Recipe

Cheese Spinach Manicotti Recipe Cheese Spinach Manicotti Recipe photo by Taste of Home Rating 5

No one will even miss the meat in this hearty, delicious meal. Cream cheese and cottage cheese “beef up” the filling and give this lasagna-like dish a creamy base. —Julie Lower, Katy, Texas

This recipe is:

Healthy

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Cheese Spinach Manicotti Recipe
  • Prep: 55 min. Bake: 55 min.
  • Yield: 7 Servings
55 55 110

Ingredients

  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 cans (8 ounces each) no-salt-added tomato sauce
  • 2 cans (6 ounces each) tomato paste
  • 1-1/2 cups water
  • 1/2 cup dry red wine or vegetable broth
  • 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • FILLING:
  • 1 package (8 ounces) fat-free cream cheese
  • 1-1/4 cups (10 ounces) 2% cottage cheese
  • 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 package (8 ounces) manicotti shells
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions

  • In a large saucepan, saute onion and garlic in oil until tender. Stir in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, wine, Italian seasoning, sugar and oregano. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Meanwhile, for filling, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Stir in the cottage cheese, spinach, Parmesan cheese, eggs and salt.
  • Stuff cream cheese mixture into uncooked manicotti shells. Spread 1 cup sauce into a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spay. Arrange manicotti over sauce. Pour remaining sauce over top.
  • Cover and bake at 350° for 50-55 minutes or until pasta is tender. Uncover; sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Yield: 7 servings.

Nutritional Facts 2 stuffed manicotti equals 389 calories, 9 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 80 mg cholesterol, 722 mg sodium, 50 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 25 g protein.

Originally published as Spinach Cheese Manicotti in Healthy Cooking February/March 2011, p61

Tip

Parmesan Pointers

When a recipe calls for shredded Parmesan cheese, use the cheese found in bags in the grocery store dairy section. Shredded Parmesan is often used in salads or soups where the shreds make a pretty garnish. If grated Parmesan is called for, use the finely grated cheese sold in containers with shaker/pourer tops. This type works well in lasagna and casseroles. (You can substitute either shredded or grated Parmesan in equal proportions in your favorite recipes.) If you decide to buy a chunk of Parmesan cheese and grate your own, be sure to use the finest section on your grating tool. You can also use a blender or food processor. Simply cut the cheese into 1-inch cubes and process 1 cup of cubes at a time on high until finely grated.

Full-Bodied Red Wine

Enjoy this recipe with a full-bodied red wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Syrah.

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Reviews for Cheese Spinach Manicotti

Cheese Spinach Manicotti Recipe

Cheese Spinach Manicotti

Tell us what you think of this recipe.
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(1-7) of 7 reviews

Reviewed on Sep. 10, 2012 by sandra 3807

Love it !

Reviewed on Apr. 04, 2011 by shessuchariot

This recipie was really good and made believers out of my family that not every dish needs meat! Thank goodness it was so tasty or otherwise I would probally never be able to pull that off again. The sauce was excellent and it really surprised me how the noodles cooked so well. I will cover my manicotti for now on with sauce to make them cook, since it was so much easier. I used low-fat ricotta instead of cottage cheese because coming from italian family, nothing but ricotta is unheard of! The ricotta was good, but I didnt care much for the cream cheese so I think next time I make this I will omit the cream cheese entirely and just use my traditional ricotta filling. Great recipie nonetheless!

Reviewed on Mar. 29, 2011 by brendaleebrown

This recipe was great!!

Reviewed on Mar. 15, 2011 by julie23219

Wonderful Recipe! I served this to my gourmet club and they loved it.

Reviewed on Feb. 21, 2011 by Mjcappucci@aol.com

This recipe is so good and easy. I wasn't sure about not precooking the manicotti, but it was done perfectly!

Reviewed on Feb. 01, 2011 by mlworden

Excellent Recipe ! Our family enjoyed this dish. I made this exactly as written. We had leftovers, which I covered with foil & reheated in the oven. It also tastes very good reheated.

Reviewed on Jan. 31, 2011 by sashimilicious

Rave. reviews from my bff and her 12 yo son.

 
 

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