I came up with this recipe after trying something similar at a nearby eatery. The stuffed spaghetti tubes freeze well, making it possible to prepare dinner more quickly. Manicotti tubes and bottled spaghetti sauce will both work, however I usually make my pasta tubes and sauce from home to save time.
| Prep Time: | 15 mins |
| Cook Time: | 50 mins |
| Total Time: | 1 hr 5 mins |
| Servings: | 10 |
| Yield: | 1 9×13-inch casserole |
Ingredients
- 1 (8 ounce) package manicotti shells
- 1 (20 ounce) package Italian turkey sausages, casings removed
- 1 (24 ounce) jar roasted garlic spaghetti sauce (such as Barilla®), divided
- ½ teaspoon granulated garlic
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ⅔ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- cooking spray
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whipping cream
- ½ cup shredded fontina cheese
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup shaved Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook manicotti until tender yet firm to the bite, about 7 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir sausage in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain excess grease.
- Drain manicotti tubes and allow to cool. Add 2 cups spaghetti sauce, garlic, and Italian seasoning to the sausage; simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Cut manicotti tubes open and lay flat. Place about 3 tablespoons of the sausage mixture and some mozzarella cheese down the middle. Roll up tubes.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish.
- Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour until a smooth paste forms. Slowly pour in cream, whisking to prevent any lumps. Cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add fontina, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheeses; whisk thoroughly to blend.
- Pour 1/2 of the cheese sauce into the prepared casserole dish. Place stuffed tubes seam-side down over the sauce. Pour remaining cheese sauce on top. Pour remaining spaghetti sauce down the middle of the casserole dish.
- Bake in the preheated oven until golden, 20 to 25 minutes.
- I use turkey sausage, but feel free to use pork sausage.
- If you plan on freezing the stuffed tubes, place them seam-side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Freeze stuffed tubes until solid. Store in a resealable plastic bag. Make the cheese sauce the day you are cooking. Allow stuffed tubes to thaw at least 30 minutes. Bake, covered with foil, for 45 to 50 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 569 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 23 g |
| Cholesterol | 162 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Protein | 23 g |
| Saturated Fat | 22 g |
| Sodium | 1146 mg |
| Sugars | 2 g |
| Fat | 44 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
This recipe is sooo good. My family loved it. Worth a try.