Make a scrumptious, comforting, Italian-inspired pasta dinner with this Simple Manicotti recipe. With a easy tacky filling topped with sauce and cheese, this meal is all the time a success!
A CHEESY ITALIAN RECIPE
I feel Manicotti (appreciated stuffed shells) is a type of meals we expect requires a ton of effort and so we don’t make it fairly often. In actuality, it’s quite a bit simpler than you suppose it’s to make. There are some nice shortcuts you should utilize to make it quite a bit sooner to whip up! Plus, like most pasta dishes, it makes for nice leftovers and it’s a freezer pleasant meal!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
The easiest way to fill manicotti shells is with a piping bag with no tip. Alternatively, you may fill a ziploc bag with the tacky filling and minimize a gap in one of many backside corners to behave as a piping bag. Most individuals don’t personal piping baggage so this ziplock possibility works completely and also you’ll be amazed at how briskly you may fill it up. If you’re nervous in regards to the pasta tearing, you may squeeze a bit into one aspect of the manicotti than flip it round and squeeze just a little extra into the opposite aspect.
Spooning it in is another choice, however can include the chance of by chance ripping the pasta.
All the things is just about absolutely cooked. You’re mainly simply cooking the ricotta combination and warming up the sauce and melting the cheese on high. Bake for at least half-hour even when the cheese has melted earlier than then to make sure the ricotta is as much as temperature. Additionally, be certain to cook dinner on a center oven rack. When cooking on the highest oven rack, issues can are inclined to burn earlier than the middle is completed since warmth rises and it makes the higher a part of your oven hotter than the decrease half.
Sure. It may be made as much as 3 days prematurely and saved coated within the fridge. It’s also possible to put together it and canopy it with plastic wrap then aluminum foil then put into the freezer for as much as 3 months.
Manicotti, like most pasta, will get sticky because it cools. However you need to let these cool or else they are going to be too scorching to deal with. A small trick I take advantage of with the pasta is after I drain it, I go away it within the strainer and drizzle just a bit little bit of olive oil over them and ensure all of them get very evenly coated in order that they don’t stick collectively as they cool.
The easiest way to retailer leftovers is within the fridge in an hermetic container for as much as 5 days. Reheat within the oven at 350℉ or within the microwave till heat.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- Manicotti pasta– You need to purchase an 8 ounce field of pasta, however chances are you’ll not use the entire field. Normally there are about 14 manicotti shells in an 8 ounce field however we’re solely utilizing 12 right here. I make the entire field as a result of I often tear one or two whereas filling them. Higher to be secure than sorry. Additionally, don’t fear in case you tear a couple of. You possibly can nonetheless use them. The sauce and cheese will cowl any errors.
- marinara sauce– Use your favourite model. Aldi’s makes a superb one (and it’s cheaper!), it’s their Specifically Chosen Premium Marinara Sauce (not an affiliate hyperlink) or Rao’s Roasted Garlic is one other favourite. Or, make your personal selfmade marinara sauce in case you actually wish to make all of it selfmade.
- ricotta cheese – ricotta cheese may be substituted for small curd cottage cheese. They each work right here. It’s a matter of texture and style and your price range. Cottage cheese will typically be a bit cheaper than ricotta (relying on the model, and so on.)
- giant egg – this acts as a binder to carry every little thing collectively.
- shredded mozzarella cheese– You possibly can freshly shred it or purchase the one pound bag of shredded mozzarella. We’re solely utilizing 3 cups of mozzarella cheese however the common dimension baggage solely have about 2 cups in them, so that you’ll want two baggage. In fact, in case you love quite a lot of cheese then you should utilize the entire bag!
- Parmesan – the recipe requires shredded however you should utilize grated (the stuff within the inexperienced bottle in case you favor)
- garlic powder and Italian seasoning – I take advantage of garlic powder right here however you should utilize recent minced garlic in case you favor. I’d most likely use one giant clove.
HOW TO MAKE EASY MANICOTTI
Cook dinner the manicotti by boiling it as directed on the field till al dente. Preheat the oven to 400℉. In a 9×13-inch baking dish, unfold rather less than half the marinara sauce on the underside.
Whereas the manicotti pasta is boiling, work on the filling. in a bowl, stir collectively the ricotta, egg, 2 cups of the mozzarella cheese, ¼ cup of the parmesan cheese, and the Italian seasoning.
As soon as the pasta is completed boiling, enable to chill within the strainer and drizzle just a bit little bit of olive oil over all of the pasta so it doesn’t stick collectively because it cools. As soon as they’re cool sufficient to deal with, gently fill the pasta with the tacky filling and place into your baking dish. This may be completed very gently with a small spoon, or utilizing a piping bag with no tip to assist make sure the pasta doesn’t rip. You could possibly additionally use a ziploc bag with the tip minimize off and use it as a makeshift piping bag.
As soon as all manicotti is stuffed and within the dish, spoon over the remainder of the marinara sauce, and sprinkle the remainder of the cheeses on high.
Bake for about half-hour, or till all the cheese is totally melted and golden. Get pleasure from!
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Forestall your display from going darkish
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Cook dinner 8 ounce field Manicotti pasta by boiling it as directed on the field till al dente.
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Preheat the oven to 400℉.
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In a 9×13-inch baking dish, unfold just a little lower than half the marinara sauce on the underside.
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Whereas the manicotti pasta is boiling, work on the filling. in a bowl, stir collectively 15 ounce tub ricotta cheese, 1 giant egg, 2 cups of mozzarella cheese, ¼ cup of parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning.
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As soon as the manicotti is completed boiling, enable to chill within the strainer and drizzle just a bit little bit of olive oil over all of the pasta so it would not stick collectively because it cools. As soon as they’re cool sufficient to deal with, gently fill the pasta with the tacky filling and place into your baking dish.
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This may be completed very gently with a small spoon (so you do not break the pasta), or utilizing a piping bag with no tip. You could possibly additionally use a ziploc bag with the tip minimize off and use it as a makeshift piping bag.
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As soon as all manicotti is stuffed and within the dish, spoon over the remainder of the marinara sauce, and sprinkle the remainder of the cheeses on high.
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Bake for about half-hour, or till all the cheese is totally melted and golden.
- Please seek advice from my FAQ’s (Steadily Requested Questions) and ingredient record above for different substitutions or for the solutions to the most typical questions.
Energy: 504kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 31g | Fats: 26g | Sodium: 1095mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g
“The Nation Cook dinner” shouldn’t be a dietician or nutritionist, and any dietary data shared is an estimate. If calorie rely and different dietary values are necessary to you, we advocate operating the substances by whichever on-line dietary calculator you favor. Energy and different dietary values can differ fairly a bit relying on which manufacturers had been used.
