Whether you’re hosting Sunday dinner or you’re simply looking for some Italian comfort food, ricotta-and-Parmesan-stuffed manicotti baked in rich marinara sauce makes a hearty and impressive vegetarian main dish. Manicotti are a large, ridged tube-shaped pasta that resembles penne. A few smart shortcuts, like leaning on store-bought marinara sauce and stuffing the manicotti without cooking them, will keep the prep time on this hearty pasta bake reasonably short.
Ingredients for Manicotti
- Ricotta cheese: We call for reduced-fat ricotta, but you can use whole-milk ricotta if you prefer.
- Onion: Chopped onion adds savory flavor and moisture to the manicotti filling.
- Egg: A beaten egg helps to bind the manicotti filling mixture.
- Parsley: Finely chopped parsley peppers the cheese manicotti filling with cheerful green flecks and adds a pleasant freshness to complement its richness. You’ll use a little more minced parsley as a garnish.
- Cheese: A combination of cheeses—Parmesan plus part-skim mozzarella—adds richness and loads of flavor to the manicotti filling. Extra sprinkled on top melts into gooey strands in the oven.
- Marinara sauce: Ready-made marinara sauce, thinned with a little water, is a big timesaver in this recipe. If you’re up for it, you can also make homemade marinara sauce.
- Manicotti: Think of manicotti as an extra large version of penne. They’re a large, ridged, tube-shaped pasta.
Directions
Step 1: Make the manicotti filling
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, chopped onion, beaten egg, minced parsley, salt and pepper, then stir in 1/2 cup of the mozzarella and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese.
Step 2: Assemble the manicotti
In another bowl, mix the marinara sauce and water, then spread 3/4 cup of this onto the bottom of a 13×9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Fill uncooked manicotti shells with the ricotta mixture, then arrange them over the sauce. Top the pasta with the remaining sauce.
Step 3: Bake the manicotti
Bake, covered, until the pasta is tender, about 50 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Bake, uncovered, until the cheese is melted, 10 to 15 minutes longer. If desired, top with additional parsley.
Manicotti Variations
- Add meat: Add cooked sausage crumbles, shredded cooked chicken or tiny meatballs to the filling mixture.
- Toss in some veggies: Add finely diced, sauteed broccoli, zucchini or yellow squash, or cooked greens to the cheese filling.
- Make your own manicotti: If you’re really going for gold, substitute fresh, homemade manicotti in place of store-bought manicotti noodles. Check out our full guide to making homemade pasta.
- Add a little garlic: Add a few cloves of chopped fresh garlic or roasted garlic cloves to the filling mixture.
How to Store Manicotti
Store leftover manicotti in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Can you make this stuffed manicotti recipe ahead of time?
Yes, you can make this manicotti ahead of time. This recipe can be assembled and refrigerated for up to three days; just remove it from the fridge 30 minutes before baking as directed.
Can you freeze cheese manicotti?
You can. Transfer individual portions of cooled manicotti to freezer containers, then place them in the freezer. To use it, partially thaw it in the refrigerator overnight. To reheat, transfer it to a microwave-safe dish and microwave on high.
Manicotti can also be assembled and frozen before baking, for up to two months. To use it, partially thaw it in the refrigerator overnight. Remove it from the fridge 30 minutes before baking. Bake as directed, increasing the time as needed until a thermometer inserted in the center reads 165°.
Manicotti Tips
Do you need to boil the manicotti before filling them?
Some manicotti recipes call for the step of boiling the manicotti noodles before filling them, but we’ve found that’s not necessary for this recipe. Because this recipe instructs to add a little water to the marinara sauce before combining the sauce with the filled pasta, there’s enough moisture in the pan while the pasta bakes, covered, to soften the texture of the raw pasta.
What is the easiest way to stuff manicotti?
The easiest way we’ve found to stuff manicotti is to use a pastry bag without a tip. Spoon the filling mixture into the bag, then squeeze it into the pasta tubes. You can also use a zip-top plastic bag with a corner snipped off in the same way.
