| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 55 min |
| Prep: | 15 min |
| Cook: | 40 min |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 4 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 pound ground beef
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 14 (8-ounce package) manicotti
- 1 (15-ounce) container whole-milk ricotta
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella
- 1 cup grated Parmesan
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 cups marinara sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
Instructions
- 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.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 864 |
| Total Fat | 53 g |
| Saturated Fat | 26 g |
| Carbohydrates | 46 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 10 g |
| Protein | 50 g |
| Cholesterol | 164 mg |
| Sodium | 1359 mg |
Reviews
AMAZING!!!! Followed recipe exactly accept added more garlic. Scary good, holiday worthy
I’m a lover of all things pasta. For me, this recipe lacked some flavor. Next time I’ll add more seasonings. I cut back on the cheese so it wasn’t so runny after baking. Filling manicotti can be super messy. I used 16 in disposable piping bags, filled the bag with meat mixture, cut off the tip of the piping bag and filled. No mess, and each manicotti was filled full. I’m a baker so already had some piping bags, if you don’t have any, you can pick some up at most craft stores for cheap.
This recipe was delicious and loved by everyone including my picky eaters. I followed it as written except I added 2 eggs at the last minute to moisten the filling. The shells were a bit time-consuming to fill with the meat filling and I did try to use the ziplock idea, but found it easier to just use a long spoon. While it seemed like a bit too much cheese the result was flavorful, moist, and delicious. Thank you for sharing this new family favorite.
I don’t understand what people see in this recipe. It does not taste good at all. I made 5 types of manicotti for this past christmas, and while the other 4 were devoured, this one was rightfully left in the pan. There is way too much cheese (especially the parm) so it ends up being a salty mess. The onion is also way too overpowering (and that hurts to say because I LOVE onions). Just had it again today to see if it was better on the second day (sometimes pasta can be)….nope. Still gross.
If I ever made this again (which is unlikely), I would cut the cheese in half, maybe completely take out the onion or use a milder one like a shallot. I would change the beef to something else entirely….basically I would change the whole recipe haha. It’s just not good. If you’re looking for a traditional manicotti recipe, keep searching. Do not stop here.
Excellent recipe as is but I made a couple changes. I used hot Italian sausage in place of the beef. Plus, since the garlic is added directly to the ricotta I suggest reducing it just a bit or, cooking it with the beef onion mixture. It can be overpowering . Overall I will be making this again!
My crew loved it, had to leave onions out, still came out delicious
Mike Stice, I found this extremely great. I’d good to know where all the manicotti went?!.
I’ve made this several times and it was super delicious, but have a question. Has anyone tried making a pan ahead of time and freezing it before cooking? I’d like to try but I’m curious how that will go!
It was excellent! I will make again!
I added chopped basil and parsley to the cheese mixture. Used ground turkey and turkey Italian sausage. Turned out very good.