Description
This Easy Cheese Manicotti is stuffed with a rich blend of three cheeses, topped with a delicious homemade marinara sauce, and baked to golden, bubbly perfection! It's the ultimate comfort food that everyone will love.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Marinara Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Cheese Filling
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, freshly shredded
- 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, freshly shredded
Assembly
- 8 oz manicotti pasta
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, freshly grated
- Parsley, minced (for garnish)
Instructions
Marinara Sauce
- Add a tablespoon of oil to a skillet and heat over medium heat.
- Add the onion and cook until soft, about 4-6 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes and bring to a simmer.
- Reduce heat and gently simmer for 15-20 minutes. This will help it thicken.
Cheese Filling
- Mix the ricotta, parsley, Italian seasoning, pepper, salt, egg, and parsley together.
- Add both cheeses and mix until combined.
Assembly
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Boil a salted pot of water and add the noodles. Boil the noodles for 2 minutes then gently strain them. They are very difficult to fill and also get too soft in the oven if they are cooked through before filling and baking.
- Rinse with cold water to cool them and prevent them from sticking.
- Pour and spread about 1- 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish and set aside.
- Add the cheese filling to a pastry bag (or a zip top plastic bag), cut the tip, and fill each par-boiled shell full (about 3 tablespoons). Alternatively, you can simply use a spoon and your fingers to fill the shells.
- Place each shell in the baking dish and line them side-by-side in 2 rows. Continue until all shells are filled.
- Pour remaining sauce over the stuffed shells, cover with foil, and bake until pasta is tender, about 45-55 minutes.
- Uncover, top with parmesan and mozzarella cheese and bake an additional 10-15 minutes until cheese is melty.
- Sprinkle with additional parsley and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
- Freshly shredded cheese makes a huge difference in this recipe.
- You can use canned pasta or marinara sauce instead of making a homemade sauce, if desired. You will need about 1 ½ jars of pasta sauce.
- This recipe can be customized easily. Add chopped fresh basil or even chopped spinach.
- Add crumbled Italian sausage or ground beef to add protein.
- Manicotti can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to 3-4 days before baking. Bake an additional 5-10 minutes if baking cold. Add the cheese on top at the same point as if baking hot (when the noodles are cooked).
- Manicotti can be made in advance and put in the freezer for up to 2-months before baking. Bake an additional 15-20 minutes if baking from frozen.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
- Prep Time: 45
- Cook Time: 60
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian