| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 15 min |
| Prep: | 15 min |
| Cook: | 1 hr |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh spinach, tough stems removed, or a 10-ounce package frozen spinach, thawed
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 12 manicotti shells
- 3 cups Marinara Sauce, recipe follows
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese (about 1 pound)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella (about 4 ounces)
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese or a mixture of half Pecorino and Parmesan
- Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons unsalted butter, diced
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 medium onion, diced (about 3 tablespoons)
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- One 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes with their juices (3 1/2 cups), roughly chopped
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 1 sprig fresh basil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- If using fresh spinach, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat, and season generously with salt. Fill a medium bowl with ice water and season with salt. Boil the spinach until tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, (keep the water in the pot boiling), and immediately plunge the spinach into the ice water. Drain and squeeze the excess water from the spinach, and finely chop. Alternatively, if using thawed spinach, simply squeeze, and finely chop. Set aside.
- In the same large pot of boiling water, cook the manicotti shells according to the package directions until al dente. Drain and pat dry.
- Spread 1 cup of the marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Lightly beat the eggs in a medium bowl. Add the spinach, ricotta, mozzarella, and 1/3 cup of the grated cheese and mix until evenly combined. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt, the nutmeg and pepper. Spoon the cheese mixture into the manicotti shells and line them up in the baking dish. Cover with the remaining 2 cups sauce. Scatter the remaining 2/3 cup grated cheese on top and dot with the butter.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Serve immediately.
- Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the herb sprigs and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes.
- Remove and discard the herb sprigs. Stir in 2 teaspoons salt and season with pepper to taste. Use right away, or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.
- Yield: 3 1/2 cups
- Copyright 2001 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 534 |
| Total Fat | 29 g |
| Saturated Fat | 15 g |
| Carbohydrates | 39 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 6 g |
| Sugar | 5 g |
| Protein | 32 g |
| Cholesterol | 136 mg |
| Sodium | 914 mg |
Reviews
I’ve prepared this recipe twice, and my husband and I love it! I use my own sauce, because I always have some in the fridge, and it’s very similar to the one in this tecioe. The next time I make it I will use less mozzarella, because I think it makes my filling too runny.
Would be so much better with fresh manicotti shells. I make crepes, fill, roll and bake. Delicious!
I grew up with homemade pasta/ravioli’s filled with ricotta and spinach. This is a really close second. One note I have which I feel is really important is to double the marinara sauce. There’s no way one tin of tomatoes is enough. Especially once you remove all the funky tomato cores you want to make sure you have enough sauce to cover the manicotti. Also, frozen spinach, just slow pan fry it for 20 mins or so to evaporate all the water. Less messy than squeezing it out. Great recipe though!
Delicious! I always use a pastry bag with a large tip to fill my manicotti. Fill the bag half way to prevent a mess while filling.
Great, classic
This has become a family favorite. LOVE this recipe for its light and delicious texture and taste! I substitute the fresh herbs for Italian dry seasoning (a few tablespoons) and add 2-3 tablespoons of sugar to the marinara sauce to cut the tomato acidity. The only frustration we have is finding the manicotti shells!!! When I see them in the store I buy in bulk 🙂
This is a good recipe. Very yummy but basic. It need a cup of wine in the marinara sauce…added at the end. The wine adds sweetness, and volume. It is needed to keep the sauce from becoming too thick during baking.
Also, I add a half cup of chopped fresh parsley to the cheese and spinach mixture, as well as a teaspoon of lemon zest. Then it’s perfect!
Also, I add a half cup of chopped fresh parsley to the cheese and spinach mixture, as well as a teaspoon of lemon zest. Then it’s perfect!
This recipe is so yummy!!! Everyone absolutely loves this Manicotti recipe. The first time I made it I had a problem stuffing the Manicotti, so my Italian sister-in-law said to just use Jumbo Shells and teaspoons to put the filling into the shells. The tricky part is boiling the frozen spinach. I boil the spinach in a smaller pot and drain through a metal mesh colander into the large pot I will be boiling the Jumbo Shells in. Much faster than removing the spinach with a slotted spoon.
“Spoon the cheese mixture into the manicotti shell and line them up…”
The hardest part. I’m thinking “pipe” the cheese mixture in. Like sausage.
The hardest part. I’m thinking “pipe” the cheese mixture in. Like sausage.
Oh my goodness! Delicious! I omitted the nutmeg (didn’t have any) and I also used small curd cottage cheese instead of ricotta. The marinara sauce was so so good. Probably my new go to recipe for marinara. My husband wasn’t excited to find I was putting spinach in his dinner but ended up loving the result. Thank you!!