Manicotti Recipe

I’m sharing my Traditional Manicotti, a classic Italian dinner with a four-cheese filling that can be made meaty, kept meatless, or switched to a simple ricotta and spinach option.

I grew up thinking manicotti was only for Sunday dinners, but my version proves a classic can still surprise you. Some nights it arrives as Stuffed Manicotti With Ricotta Cheese, other times it flips into a soul warming Meaty Manicotti.

Ricotta cheese and manicotti shells give a pillowy center, while bright marinara lifts every forkful. Spinach can make it sing, meat makes it stubbornly addictive, and the cheeses melt into one slightly messy, irresistible bite.

It’s the kind of dish that makes you curious what twist you’ll try next.

Ingredients

• Manicotti shells: Wheat pasta, mostly carbs, fills you up, gives structure and chewy texture.
• Ricotta cheese: Rich in protein and calcium, it’s creamy with a mild sweetness, tames acidity.
• Mozzarella: Melts beautifully, adds gooey stretch, moderate fat and calcium, mild milky taste.
• Parmesan or Pecorino: Strong salty umami from aged cheese, a little goes a long way.
• Eggs: Binds the filling, adds protein and richness, helps set when baked.
• Marinara sauce: Tomato sauce gives acidity and vitamin C, carbs from natural sugars, bright flavor.
• Garlic and olive oil: Garlic brings aromatic bite, olive oil adds fat and silky mouthfeel.
• Optional meat: Ground beef or sausage adds savory protein and fat, makes it heartier.
• Optional spinach: Boosts fiber and iron, mild earthiness, wilts down to a tiny pile.

Ingredient Quantities

• 1 box (12) manicotti shells uncooked
• 15 oz ricotta cheese (about 2 cups)
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella (about 8 oz)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano or Asiago
• 2 large eggs
• 24 oz marinara sauce (about 3 cups)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, or 2 tsp dried
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
• Pinch crushed red pepper flakes, optional
• Optional meat: 1 lb ground beef or Italian sausage
• Optional spinach: 10 oz frozen chopped spinach or 5 oz fresh baby spinach
• Optional: 2 tbsp milk or heavy cream

How to Make this

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly oil or spread a little marinara in a 9 by 13 inch baking dish so the shells wont stick.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the uncooked manicotti shells until just al dente according to package directions, usually about 7 to 9 minutes. Drain, rinse with cool water so they stop cooking, lay flat on a towel and separate so they dont stick. If you want, drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil to keep them from gluing together.

3. In a skillet heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium. Add 1 clove minced garlic and cook 20 seconds until fragrant. If using meat add 1 pound ground beef or Italian sausage, break up and brown, season with a pinch of salt and pepper, drain excess fat. If using spinach add 1 clove minced garlic and saute fresh spinach until wilted or thaw and squeeze frozen spinach very dry before adding. Set meat or spinach aside and stir into about 1 cup of the marinara or keep it separate to mix into the filling later.

4. Warm the 24 ounces marinara in the skillet for a minute or two with the remaining minced garlic so it isnt cold when it goes in the oven. Taste and add a little salt, pepper or crushed red pepper flakes if you want heat.

5. Make the cheese filling: in a large bowl combine 15 ounces ricotta, 1 and 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano or Asiago, 2 large eggs, 2 tablespoons fresh parsley or 2 teaspoons dried, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes if using. If you like it creamier stir in 2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream. Mix well until homogenous.

6. Fold your cooked meat or squeezed spinach into the cheese mixture now if you prefer the filling to be meaty or green. If you decided to keep meat in the sauce instead just stir the cooked meat into the warmed marinara.

7. Spoon about 1 cup of marinara across the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Fill each manicotti shell using a piping bag, a gallon zip top bag with a corner snipped off, or a small spoon. Dont overfill or shells will split. Place filled shells seam side down in the dish, snug but not smashed. If a shell cracks dont freak out, press it together with a little extra filling and keep going.

8. Pour the remaining marinara over the shells making sure they are covered, then sprinkle the last 1/2 cup mozzarella and a little extra Parmesan over the top.

9. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 5 to 10 minutes until bubbly and cheese is lightly golden. Let rest about 10 minutes before serving so it sets. Garnish with extra parsley and more grated cheese if you want. For a quick browning blast you can broil for 1 to 2 minutes but watch it like a hawk so it doesnt burn.

Equipment Needed

1. 9 x 13 inch baking dish
2. Large pot for boiling the shells
3. Colander (to drain pasta)
4. Large skillet (for browning meat and warming sauce)
5. Large mixing bowl (for the cheese filling)
6. Measuring cups and measuring spoons
7. Wooden spoon and rubber spatula
8. Piping bag or a gallon zip-top bag (with scissors to snip the corner)
9. Box grater or microplane (for fresh Parmesan/Pecorino)
10. Aluminum foil and oven mitts

FAQ

Manicotti Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Ricotta: use 2 cups cottage cheese, blitz in a food processor till smooth and stir in 1–2 tbsp milk or cream to match the texture; mascarpone works too if you want it richer.
• Mozzarella: swap with provolone, fontina or Monterey Jack (same amount) — they melt well and give similar stretch, provolone has a bit more flavor.
• Eggs: for an egg free binder use flax “eggs” (2 tbsp ground flax + 6 tbsp water, let sit 5 min) or a commercial egg replacer, they hold the filling together fine.
• Marinara: no jarred sauce? use a 28 oz can crushed tomatoes + 1 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tsp dried basil, pinch sugar and salt, simmer 10 min to thicken and taste.

Pro Tips

1) Cook the shells just to al dente, then rinse in cold water and lay them flat on a towel so they stop cooking. Dont overfill them or they will split; use a piping bag or a zip top bag with a corner cut off for cleaner, faster filling.

2) If using frozen spinach squeeze it like crazy in a clean towel or paper towels so no extra water ruins the filling. Same with browned meat, drain off fat well or mix the meat into the sauce instead of the filling so it does not get greasy.

3) Taste and adjust salt and pepper in the ricotta mixture before you stuff anything, cheeses can be mild so a little extra salt or a splash of cream or milk makes the filling sing. Fresh parsley or a little extra Pecorino adds brightness, dont be shy.

4) Bake covered so the pasta steams and doesnt dry out then uncover at the end to let the top brown. Let the dish rest about 10 minutes after baking so the filling firms up and the shells wont fall apart when you serve.

5) For make ahead or freezing: assemble, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight or freeze before baking. If frozen bake from frozen adding extra time and keep the dish on a sheet pan in the oven in case it bubbles over.