Every so often I get a hankering for a timeless classic Italian meal like this Cheese Manicotti. It’s loaded with three delectable cheeses; creamy rich ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan cheese. They give this Italian classic its lovely, decadent, cheesy flavor. Save time by using your favorite marinara sauce, or if you’re feeling particularly ambitious, make your own sauce from scratch. Keep reading to find out the quick and simple method for filling the pasta shells and you’ll have this delicious Italian classic meal in the oven in no time.
Have you ever wondered what to do with Manicotti shells? I bet you thought it would be a long and laborious process. Well it’s actually a very easy Italian meal to make that takes very little time to get into the oven.
Start by preheating oven to 350℉.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook manicotti pasta according to package directions, about 7 minutes.
Drain pasta and set aside to cool.
While the pasta is cooling, place ricotta cheese, half the mozzarella cheese, half the parmesan cheese, 2 eggs, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and chopped parsley in a large mixing bowl.
Stir to combine all the ingredients.
Place the filling in a plastic bag and snip off one corner of the bag.
Spread about 1 cup of the marinara sauce in the bottom of an oven safe casserole dish.
Pipe filling into each cooked manicotti shell until you have used up all the filling. Don’t worry too much if the shells split open a little. The sauce will hide it and no will ever know.
Place each stuffed shell in a single layer in the casserole dish.
Top with remaining marinara sauce to completely cover the stuffed pasta shells.
Sprinkle with remaining grated parmesan and shredded mozzarella cheeses.
Cover casserole dish with foil and bake in the oven for 45 minutes.
Remove foil and continue to bake for an additional 15-25 minutes or until heated through and the cheese is melted, bubbly and hot. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
To serve, garnish with additional freshly chopped parsley if desired.
Serve with a tart, crisp green salad to round out the meal. Try this easy to make Rockin’ Good Rocket Salad with a tart, lemon vinaigrette paired with peppery arugula, crunchy toasted pumpkin seeds and shaved Parmesan cheese. A light, healthy, flavorful salad that pairs beautifully with the creamy, cheesy Manicotti.
Cheese Manicotti
Equipment
- Oven safe casserole dish.
Ingredients
- 8 oz manicotti pasta shells
- 15 oz ricotta cheese
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 32 oz marinara sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook manicotti pasta according to package directions, about 7 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl combine, ricotta cheese, half the mozzarella cheese, half the parmesan cheese, 2 eggs, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and chopped parsley.
- Place the filling in a plastic bag and snip off one corner of the bag.
- Spread about 1 cup of the marinara sauce in the bottom of an oven safe casserole dish.
- Pipe filling into the cooked manicotti shells and place them in a single layer in the casserole dish.
- Top with remaining marinara sauce to cover the pasta shells.
- Sprinkle with remaining parmesan and mozzarella cheeses.
- Cover dish with foil and bake in the oven for 45 minutes.
- Remove foil and continue to bake for an additional 15 minutes or until heated through and the cheese is melted, bubbly and hot.
- Remove from oven and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
- To serve, garnish with additional freshly chopped parsley if desired.
Did You Make This?
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Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”
John 6:35