Description
Manicotti is a classic Italian-American dish featuring large pasta tubes stuffed with a rich ricotta cheese filling, topped with marinara sauce and melted cheese, then baked to perfection.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 14 manicotti shells
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups marinara sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with olive oil.
- Cook manicotti shells according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside to cool slightly.
- In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix well until smooth.
- Fill each manicotti shell with the cheese mixture using a spoon or piping bag.
- Spread 1 cup of marinara sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- Arrange the filled manicotti shells in the dish. Pour the remaining marinara sauce over the top.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese over the sauce.
- Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.
- Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- You can prepare the filling and stuff the shells ahead of time for a make-ahead meal.
- Feel free to add cooked spinach or ground meat to the filling for variation.
- Use a piping bag or zip-top bag with the corner snipped for easier filling of shells.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 stuffed shells
- Calories: 390
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 620mg
- Fat: 19g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 21g
- Cholesterol: 65mg