Manicotti - Spend With Pennies

This stuffed manicotti recipe is an easy make-ahead meal perfect for busy weeknights. The pasta is stuffed with cheese and Italian herbs, covered in marinara sauce, and baked to perfection!

cheesy Easy Stuffed Manicotti in a casserole dish

Manicotti is a long, large, tubular pasta that is usually cooked and stuffed with a ricotta cheese filling similar to this classic stuffed shells recipe. Baked, cheese-stuffed manicotti is hearty, creamy, and smothered in marinara, making it one of the best comfort foods.

Ingredient Notes

Manicotti: This pasta is perfect for this recipe since it holds the filling nicely, but any large tubular pasta would work for this recipe. Try it with cannelloni or large pasta shells.
Filling: Made with three kinds of cheese, mozzarella, ricotta, and parmesan, this filling is so delicious! Try cottage cheese in place of ricotta. Just strain the cottage cheese before adding it to the recipe to avoid the filling being too watery.
Sauce: For the best flavor, try making a homemade marinara sauce. You can also use a store-bought marinara sauce or even a basic tomato sauce in a pinch. Just add in some Italian seasoning to boost the flavors!

Easy Stuffed Manicotti in the dish before cooking

How to Make Manicotti

Cook manicotti shells. While they’re cooling, prep filling (full recipe below).
Stuff pasta and layer with marinara and cheese in a casserole.
Bake and serve immediately!

Get creative with the filling. Add in different cheeses, spinach, herbs, or meat like chicken, beef, or sausage for a unique dish!

Cook your manicotti shells just until tender. This is to ensure they stay sturdy and don’t overcook while you bake them in the oven.
To cool your shells quickly, rinse them in cold water. This also helps prevent them from sticking together.
Easily stuff your manicotti shells by filling a large freezer or pastry bag with the creamy ricotta mixture. Snip the end and pipe it into your pasta tubes!
Pipe the filling from both ends to ensure your shells are tighlty packed with that delicious filling.

close up of savory Easy Stuffed Manicotti in the dish

Leftovers

This recipe is great for leftovers. Simply prepare up until the point of baking, cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, just thaw (if frozen) and bake as directed!
Store already-cooked leftovers in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, or in the oven at 325°F until heated through, about 20-25 minutes.

Do I have to cook manicotti shells before filling them?

I prefer to use regular manicotti shells (which do require precooking), but you can use oven-ready shells in a pinch if you want to skip cooking them before filling.

Will using oven-ready manicotti noodles change the cook time?

Yes! If swapping the regular noodles for oven-ready noodles in this recipe, keep an eye on the casserole as it bakes. If it starts to look dry, add a drizzle (a couple of tablespoons) of water around the edge (yes, water! Trust me).

It’s also important to keep the noodles covered in sauce and cover the pan while baking if you are using oven-ready noodles so that everything cooks evenly.

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image of Everyday Comfort cookbook by Holly Nilsson of Spend With Pennies plus text

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 33 minutes

Total Time 43 minutes

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add manicotti and boil for the 7-8 minutes, until almost tender*.
Drain and rinse manicotti under cold water until cooled to room temperature.
In a medium bowl, stir together ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, ¼ cup Parmesan, egg, pesto, salt, and pepper.
Place ricotta mixture in a large piping bag or large freezer bag and snip the end.
Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish and spread 1 cup of marinara sauce in the bottom.
Fill each manicotti shell with ricotta cheese mixture and line up on top of the marinara sauce in the baking dish, dividing the ricotta evenly between the 12 manicotti.
Top the filled manicotti with the remaining 1 ½ cups sauce, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, and ¼ cup Parmesan.
Lightly grease a piece of foil or lid and cover the baking dish. Bake for 25-30 minutes until heated through and pasta is tender.

*Make sure you don’t overcook them. You want them still slightly firm, so they’re easy to fill and don’t overcook in the oven.
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Italian

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