Sausage Manicotti

Every cuisine has its version of something delicious tucked inside something else. Mexico has enchiladas, France has crêpes, and Asia gave us spring rolls and dumplings. You can always count on Italy to bring the swagger with cheese and meat stuffed into myriad pasta shapes, as in this sausage manicotti recipe.

This sausage-stuffed manicotti is one of the easiest baked manicotti recipes, and it doesn’t require a lot of ingredients. The long pasta tubes are stuffed with cheese and sausage, and then topped with even more cheese. Instead of ricotta, we use cottage cheese here, which makes it lighter. Manicotti with cottage cheese may not be traditional, but it delivers serious creamy goodness that hugs every bite of sausage like it means it. You don’t need to boil the noodles or even precook the meat. Just mix the filling, stuff the pasta, cover them with sauce and bake. This baked pasta recipe delivers the kind of flavor that makes you consider opening your own trattoria.

Ingredients for Sausage Manicotti

• Bulk Italian sausage: When we say bulk, we mean pork sausage without a casing. If you can’t find bulk sausage, no problem—just grab a pack of Italian sausage links and remove the casings before using them in the recipe. Sweet or spicy types work for this Italian sausage manicotti depending on your heat preference, but steer clear of breakfast sausage.
• Cottage cheese: This manicotti stuffed with sausage recipe skips ricotta and uses 4% cottage cheese instead, which brings a lighter texture and slight tang to the filling. For the smoothest result, opt for small curd cottage cheese. Feel free to drain it or give it a quick pulse in the blender if it’s a little watery.
• Manicotti shells: Manicotti is a hollow pasta tube, like a giant piece of penne. The uncooked shells go straight into the dish—no boiling required.
• Marinara sauce: Use your favorite jarred pasta sauce or make homemade marinara from scratch. This coats the pasta while it bakes, keeping everything tender and saucy.
• Mozzarella cheese: Is it even baked manicotti if you don’t have a cheese pull? Mozzarella melts deliciously, whether it’s part-skim or whole milk.

Directions

Step 1: Make the filling

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine the sausage and cottage cheese.

Step 2: Stuff the manicotti shells

Carefully stuff the sausage mixture into the uncooked manicotti shells.

Editor’s Tip: Using a piping bag makes this step even simpler. No piping bag? Snip the corner off a large zip-top bag and use that instead. It’s a great way to get a consistent fill without the mess.

Step 3: Assemble the dish

Place the stuffed manicotti in a greased 13×9-inch baking dish and top with the marinara sauce.

Step 4: Cover and bake

Cover with foil and bake until a thermometer inserted into the center of a shell reads 160°, 55 to 60 minutes.

Step 5: Add the cheese and finish baking

Remove the foil and sprinkle the mozzarella over the top. Return the dish to the oven and bake, uncovered, for an additional 8 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and slightly golden.

Step 6: Let it rest

Remove the dish from the oven and let it sit for about 5 minutes before serving.

Sausage Manicotti Variations

• Make a traditional ricotta version: Want a more classic manicotti stuffed with sausage? Use ricotta cheese instead of cottage cheese. Add a beaten egg and some grated Parmesan to firm it up and add depth.
• Try it spicy and smoky: Use hot Italian sausage or add a pinch each of crushed red pepper and smoked paprika to the filling for a bolder, spicier version.
• Go veggie-forward: Add a handful of chopped spinach (fresh or thawed frozen) to the sausage mixture. Sauteed mushrooms or caramelized onions also make great mix-ins.

How to Store Sausage Manicotti

Leftover sausage-stuffed manicotti keeps beautifully, making it a great make-ahead meal or next-day lunch. Store it tightly covered in the fridge, or portion it into meal prep containers for an easy dinner rewind.

How long does sausage manicotti last?

Stuffed manicotti with sausage lasts up to four days in the refrigerator. To prevent it from drying out, cover it well or store it in an airtight container.

Can you freeze sausage manicotti?

Yes! You can freeze manicotti with cottage cheese either before or after baking. If freezing before, assemble the dish without baking, wrap it tightly and freeze it for up to two months. Bake it from frozen at 375°, adding 15 to 20 minutes to the bake time. If freezing after baking, let it cool completely, then portion and freeze it in airtight containers.

How do you reheat sausage manicotti?

To reheat the cottage cheese manicotti recipe, cover the dish with foil and warm it in a 350° oven until heated through, 20 to 25 minutes. Individual portions can also be microwaved—just cover and heat in one-minute intervals until hot.

Sausage Manicotti Tips

Can you use the filling for other stuffed pasta recipes?

This sausage-cottage cheese combo works wonderfully in stuffed shells, smaller pasta tubes like cannelloni or even layered into lasagna for a heartier twist. Make sure the pasta is big enough to hold that chunky sausage goodness.

What should you serve with sausage manicotti?

Our sausage manicotti recipe is rich and filling, so pair it with something light and fresh, like a simple arugula salad or baked broccolini. A hunk of crusty garlic bread is never bad, especially for scooping up any extra marinara. A glass of Chianti and some Italian cookies to finish off the meal certainly wouldn’t hurt either!