Description
This Spinach Manicotti Recipe features perfectly cooked manicotti shells filled with a creamy mixture of ricotta, mozzarella, spinach, and herbs, all baked to perfection with a marinara sauce and topped with melted cheese.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 14 manicotti shells (from an 8-oz box)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 (15-oz) container whole-milk ricotta cheese (1¾ cups)
- ⅓ cup mascarpone or cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 cups (8 oz) whole-milk mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1¼ cups (4.5 oz oz) grated Pecorino Romano, divided
- 1 (10-oz) box frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed very dry
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¾ teaspoon salt, plus more for boiling the pasta
Sauce:
- 2½ cups homemade or good-quality jarred marinara sauce, such as Rao’s
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Parboil the Manicotti Shells: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the manicotti shells for exactly 6 minutes. Drain well and rinse with cold water.
- Make the Filling: Beat eggs in a bowl, then add ricotta, mascarpone, mozzarella, Pecorino Romano, spinach, basil, garlic, oregano, and salt. Transfer filling to a pastry bag or zip-lock bag, and pipe into manicotti shells.
- Make the Sauce: Stir together marinara sauce and heavy cream.
- Assemble and Bake: Spread sauce in a baking dish, arrange stuffed manicotti, pour remaining sauce, cover with foil, bake, uncover, top with cheese, and bake until golden. Let sit before serving.
- Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: Dish can be assembled, covered, and refrigerated for up to 2 days in advance or frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost before baking if frozen.
Notes
- For a vegetarian option, use vegetable-based rennet cheese instead of Pecorino Romano.
- You can add cooked ground meat to the filling for a meaty variation.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 piece
- Calories: 400 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg