Indulge in a culinary journey with stuffed manicotti, an Italian delicacy that captivates taste buds with its delightful combination of flavors and textures. These jumbo pasta tubes, filled with a savory blend of ground beef, spinach, ricotta, and Parmesan cheese, are enveloped in a rich and flavorful meat sauce, creating a symphony of flavors in every bite. Accompanied by three delectable sauce variations—a classic tomato sauce, a creamy Alfredo sauce, and a zesty pesto sauce—this dish offers a versatile culinary experience that caters to diverse preferences. Prepare to tantalize your taste buds with this iconic Italian dish, brought to you in three distinct and equally enticing variations.
Here are our top 12 tried and tested recipes!
MEAT FILLED MANICOTTI
This is a tasty and filling dish that can be nicely paired with a green salad if desired.
Provided by teppij
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Italian
Time 1h10m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain and cool. Reserve.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet brown beef on medium heat. Drain and cool.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Combine beef, cottage cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg whites and oregano. Mix well. Stuff shells with mixture.
- Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour enough spaghetti sauce in dish to cover the bottom. Place stuffed noodles in the dish. Cover with spaghetti sauce and top with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Bake in preheated oven for 50 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 667.9 calories, Carbohydrate 50.5 g, Cholesterol 103.5 mg, Fat 33.3 g, Fiber 5.2 g, Protein 40.1 g, SaturatedFat 15.2 g, Sodium 1248.7 mg, Sugar 15.1 g
BEEF AND CHEESE MANICOTTI
Provided by Giada De Laurentiis
Categories main-dish
Time 55m
Yield 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Heat a heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the olive oil, onion and ground beef. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until the meat browns and the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, and cool.
- Brush 1 teaspoon of oil over a large baking sheet. Cook the manicotti in a large pot of boiling salted water until slightly softened, but still very firm to the bite, about 4 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the manicotti from the pot to the oiled baking sheet and cool.
- Meanwhile, combine the ricotta, 1 1/2 to 2 cups mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan, and parsley. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper to taste, and mix. Stir the cooled meat mixture into the cheese mixture.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Brush the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil over a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Spoon 1 1/2 cups of the marinara sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish. Fill the manicotti with the cheese-meat mixture. Arrange the stuffed pasta in a single layer in the prepared dish and spoon the remaining sauce over.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese, then the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan over the stuffed pasta. Dot entire dish with the butter pieces. Bake the manicotti uncovered until heated through and the sauce bubbles on the sides of the dish, about 30 to 35 minutes. Let the manicotti stand 5 minutes and serve.
CHEESE STUFFED MANICOTTI
Homemade meat sauce served over manicotti stuffed with three cheeses. This is the best manicotti I have ever had. I always get requests for the recipe.
Provided by Melanie2008
Categories Main Dish Recipes Stuffed Main Dish Recipes
Time 1h35m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir beef, onion, and roasted garlic in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Continue to simmer until pan juices evaporate, about 10 minutes more. Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, oregano, thyme, bay leaf, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and garlic salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until flavors blend, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook manicotti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain and cool slightly.
- Mix mozzarella cheese, cottage cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Spoon a generous amount of the cheese mixture into each manicotti shell.
- Pour enough tomato-beef sauce to cover the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Arrange stuffed manicotti over sauce; pour remaining sauce over pasta. Cover with aluminum foil.
- Bake in the preheated oven until bubbly, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese over manicotti and return to the oven. Bake until cheese filling is melted, 10 to 15 minutes more.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 653.5 calories, Carbohydrate 55.1 g, Cholesterol 129.1 mg, Fat 26.3 g, Fiber 5 g, Protein 52.6 g, SaturatedFat 13 g, Sodium 2893.5 mg, Sugar 17.9 g
BAKED MANICOTTI WITH MEAT SAUCE
I think this originally came in Women's Day magazine, back when they had a skinny 6 or 8 page cookbook, in a strip, in the center of the magazine. I started making this as a newly wed, and it is still a family favorite. I usually double the recipe and freeze at least 1/2 of the stuffed noodles, since that is the most time consuming part. Serve with a sald and garlic bread, and a good bottle of red wine !
Provided by NurseJaney
Categories One Dish Meal
Time 1h45m
Yield 16 shells, 6-8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Make filling by mixing first 8ingredients and 1 cup parmesan cheese.
- Blend thoroughly.
- Cook meat with garlic and onions
- Sprinkle with salt and drain grease.
- Stuff cooked noodles (gently) with filling.
- Butter 12x15 baking dish.
- Spoon tomato sauce in bottom of dish to cover.
- Place stuffed shells in dish to completely fill.
- Sprinkle meat over and around shells.
- Spoon tomato sauce over shells generously.
- Sprinke with 1/2 cup parmesan.
- Cover with foil.
- Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes.
CHEESE STUFFED MANICOTTI IN MEAT SAUCE
Make and share this Cheese Stuffed Manicotti in Meat Sauce recipe from Food.com.
Provided by Panhandle Sam
Categories One Dish Meal
Time 55m
Yield 8 manicotti, 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Preaheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil; add salt if desired. Place noodles in water and boil for 9 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water to prevent sticking.
- While noodles are boiling, brown meat in a large skillet. Drain and add spaghetti sauce; set simmer for 5 minutes, then turn off heat.
- In a bowl, combine eggs, 1 cup mozzarella, half of the ricotta, parmesan and seasonings.
- Pour a layer of meat sauce in the bottom of a baking dish, using half of what you have.
- Using a spoon or piping bag, fill the noodles with the cheese mixture and place on top of sauce. Spread remaining ricotta on top and layer with remaining sauce and mozzarella. Bake, covered, for 40 minutes.
STUFFED MANICOTTI WITH FRESH MARINARA SAUCE
Provided by Food Network
Categories main-dish
Time 2h35m
Yield about 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 22
Steps:
- Make the crepes (crespelle):
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and melted butter. Gradually whisk in the flour and salt until the mixture is smooth. Refrigerate for 1 hour until slightly thickened.
- Spray an 8-inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Place the pan over medium heat. With a small ladle, pour about 3 tablespoons of the batter into the pan. Turn the pan at a 45 degree angle to coat the pan evenly so the batter forms a perfect circle. Cook the crepe only until lightly browned, about 30 seconds. Turn the crepe over with a spatula and cook the other side only until lightly browned, about 30 seconds. Slide the crepe onto a 12-inch platter and continue the process with the remaining batter. Stack the crepes between waxed paper so they don't stick. You can prepare these crepes a day in advance covered in plastic wrap in the refrigerator. No need to reheat the crepes before filling and baking.
- Make the ricotta filling:
- In a large bowl, add all the ingredients for the ricotta filling. With a large wooden spoon or spatula, stir all the ingredients until well blended. Store covered in plastic wrap in the refrigerator until ready to use. You can make this filling the day before.
- Make the marinara sauce:
- In a large heavy nonreactive saucepan with a lid, heat the olive oil on medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic and cook until fragrant but NOT browned. Add the crushed tomatoes to the pan and crush further with a potato masher. Simmer 30 minutes, slightly covered, on medium-low heat, stirring every so often.
- Add the parsley, basil leaves and salt and pepper, to taste, and simmer for another 10 minutes until the sauce is slightly reduced. Taste and re-season as necessary.
- Put it all together:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with 1 cup of the prepared marinara sauce.
- Spoon 3 tablespoons of the prepared ricotta filling 1 inch from the edge of a crepe. Roll evenly into a log, keeping the filling even as you roll. Repeat with the remaining crepes. Place manicotti seam side down and side by side in the sauced baking pan.
- Spoon 1 to 2 cups of sauce over the top of the manicotti. Sprinkle with the grated Parmesan.
- Cover the baking dish loosely with foil and bake about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake another 20 minutes until the topping is golden brown and sides are bubbling. Let rest about 15 minutes before serving to firm up the manicotti filling.
MANICOTTI ALLA ROMANA
This rich meat, spinach and cheese filled manicotti dish is covered with white and red sauces. I offer this on the catering menu at my catering company and it is the most popular for casual dinner parties. It's a bit of work but well worth the effort.
Provided by markblau
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Italian
Time 1h50m
Yield 7
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onions until translucent. Saute garlic for 1 minute and stir in ground beef. Cook until well browned and crumbled. Season with salt and set aside to cool.
- Cook spinach according to package directions. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add manicotti shells and parboil for half of the time recommended on the package. Drain and cover with cool water to stop the cooking process and prevent the shells from cracking.
- To the ground beef mixture add the cooked spinach and ricotta cheese. When the mixture is cool, add the beaten eggs. Spread 1/4 cup spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Gently drain the manicotti shells and carefully stuff each one with the meat and cheese mixture; place shells in prepared dish. Lightly cover the dish with plastic wrap or a clean, damp towel to prevent shells from cracking.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Prepare the white sauce by melting the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and chicken bouillon. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring constantly, until it begins to bubble. Stir in half and half and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in parsley. Pour or ladle the sauce evenly over the stuffed shells.
- Stir the basil into the remaining spaghetti sauce. Carefully pour or ladle spaghetti sauce over the white sauce, trying to layer the sauces without mixing.
- Cover and bake for 40 minutes. Remove from oven, uncover and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes more.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 611.7 calories, Carbohydrate 58.7 g, Cholesterol 134.2 mg, Fat 30.3 g, Fiber 6 g, Protein 27.6 g, SaturatedFat 13.1 g, Sodium 991.6 mg, Sugar 12.7 g
EASY, STUFFED MANICOTTI
This is so simple and easy. You do NOT have to boil the shells or cook the meat ahead of time(you dont pre-cook your meat for meat loaf, do ya?) It all cooks perfectly together in the oven.
Provided by wynde
Categories Manicotti
Time 1h20m
Yield 6-8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Spread 2 tblsps of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 pan.
- Combine first 8 ingredients together in a bowl.
- Take shells and stuff with the meat mixture.(I find it easier to use pastry bags filled with the meat mixture to stuff the shells or you can cut the end of a sandwich baggie and stuff them that way. Less messy and much faster.).
- Place shells in pan and pour remaining sauce of shells.
- Bake at 350 for 45 minutes, remove from the oven and top with mozzeralla cheese. Return to oven and bake and additional 15 minutes.
- Remove and enjoy.
- Goes wonderfully with a tossed salad and garlic bread.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 1164, Fat 66.5, SaturatedFat 30.5, Cholesterol 237.7, Sodium 1806.9, Carbohydrate 73.6, Fiber 3, Sugar 10.2, Protein 64.7
MEATY MANICOTTI
This simple dish has been very popular at family gatherings and potlucks. You can assemble it ahead of time. -Lori Thompson, New London, Texas
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 1h5m
Yield 7 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Cook manicotti shells according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook sausage and beef over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. Remove from the heat. Cool for 10 minutes., Drain shells and rinse in cold water. Stir the mozzarella cheese, cream cheese and salt into meat mixture. Spread 2 cups spaghetti sauce in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. , Stuff each shell with about 1/4 cup meat mixture; arrange over sauce. Pour remaining sauce over top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. , Cover and bake at 350° for 40 minutes. Uncover; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until bubbly and heated through. Freeze option: Cover and freeze unbaked casserole. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake casserole as directed, increasing time as necessary to heat through and for a thermometer inserted in center to read 165°.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 507 calories, Fat 26g fat (13g saturated fat), Cholesterol 90mg cholesterol, Sodium 1265mg sodium, Carbohydrate 39g carbohydrate (11g sugars, Fiber 3g fiber), Protein 30g protein.
STUFFED MANICOTTI
This recipe is so special I serve it to company. It is so easy to make too.-Cookie Curci-Wright, San Jose, California
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 1h40m
Yield 7 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 24
Steps:
- In a large saucepan, saute onion and green pepper in olive oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in all remaining sauce ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Uncover, simmer 10-15 minutes longer or until thickened. , Meanwhile, for manicotti, cook beef and onion in a skillet until the meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain; cool slightly. , Squeeze spinach thoroughly to remove excess water; add to the skillet with 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, eggs, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix well. Refrigerate 1-1/2 cups of the sauce (makes 4 cups), for another recipe. , Pour 1 cup of the remaining sauce into a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Stuff manicotti with the meat mixture; arrange over the sauce. Pour another 1-1/2 cups of sauce on top. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and remaining Parmesan cheese. , Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a thermometer reads 160°.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 505 calories, Fat 24g fat (9g saturated fat), Cholesterol 172mg cholesterol, Sodium 976mg sodium, Carbohydrate 34g carbohydrate (5g sugars, Fiber 4g fiber), Protein 35g protein.
BEEF-STUFFED MANICOTTI
Most manicotti recipes are made with cheese. My family has always enjoyed this one, because it's stuffed with meat.
Provided by Jackie 6
Categories Manicotti
Time 1h5m
Yield 7 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Brown ground beef & drain.
- Cook manicotti using package directions.
- Do not drain. Run cold water over it until water in pan is cold; leave manicotti in water until needed.
- Meanwhile, combine ground beef, egg, mozzarella, bread, milk, salt & pepper. Stuff each manicotti shell. Place in greased 13x9x2" baking pan. Pour spaghetti sauce over top, cover with foil & bake in 350 degree oven for 50 minutes. (1 hour if made ahead & chilled.).
- Pass grated parmesan cheese when serving.
BEEF STUFFED MANICOTTI
When I bought a 25-year-old cookbook at an auction, I found this gem inside. I think you'll make it again and again, as I do.
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 55m
Yield 2 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Cook manicotti according to package directions; drain. In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomato sauce, oregano and thyme; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add 1/2 cup cheese; stir until melted., Stuff half meat mixture into manicotti shells; arrange in a greased 8-in. square baking dish. Spoon remaining meat mixture over shells. , Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until heated through and cheese is melted.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 533 calories, Fat 23g fat (12g saturated fat), Cholesterol 99mg cholesterol, Sodium 1264mg sodium, Carbohydrate 42g carbohydrate (8g sugars, Fiber 5g fiber), Protein 40g protein.
Tips:
- Prepare the Manicotti Shells: Cook the manicotti shells according to the package instructions. Drain and rinse them under cold water. Lay them flat on a clean kitchen towel to dry.
- Make the Meat Sauce: Brown the ground beef and sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drain off any excess fat. Add the onion, garlic, and green bell pepper and cook until softened. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook for at least 30 minutes, or longer for a more flavorful sauce.
- Prepare the Filling: In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, egg, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix until well combined.
- Stuff the Manicotti Shells: Place a spoonful of the filling into each manicotti shell. Place the stuffed manicotti shells in a single layer in a large baking dish. Top with the meat sauce and additional grated parmesan cheese.
- Bake: Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated oven at 375°F (190°C) for 30-35 minutes, or until the manicotti shells are heated through and the sauce is bubbly.
- Serve: Remove the baking dish from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley and additional grated parmesan cheese, if desired.
Conclusion:
Stuffed manicotti is a classic Italian dish that is perfect for a special occasion meal. It is a delicious and hearty dish that is sure to please everyone at the table. With a little planning and preparation, you can easily make this dish at home. Follow these tips and enjoy a delicious and authentic Italian meal!
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