Do I have to cook the manicotti shells before baking them in the oven?

Yes. You will want to cook the manicotti shells in a pot of salted water until they are al dente. Meaning they aren’t cooked through completely. The manicotti will cook completely while baking in the oven.

What is the best way to fill manicotti?

You will place the ricotta cheese mixture in a piping bag or a freezer bag. You will cut the tip of the bag large enough to pipe the cheese mixture inside the manicotti shell.

How do you keep manicotti shells from sticking?

Once you drain the manicotti, reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water and return to the pot with the manicotti and about a tablespoon of olive oil, this should help prevent sticking.

Stuffed Manicotti with Meat Sauce - Brown Sugar Food Blog

Description

Are you a home cook looking for a delicious and easy meal for your family? Look no further than this Stuffed Manicotti with Meat Sauce recipe! This pasta is filled with creamy ricotta cheese and spinach filling, with a zesty tomato–based meat sauce.

Ingredients

Scale

1 lb. Ground Beef
2–3 Garlic Cloves minced
1 lb. Marinara Sauce
1/2 tsp. Onion Powder
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 tsp. Dried Oregano leaves
1 tsp. Dried Basil leaves
2–15 oz. Low Fat Ricotta Cheese
1/2 c. Grated Parmesan Cheese
2 c. Mozzarella Cheese, shredded and divided
3/4 c. Frozen Spinach, chopped
1/2 tsp. Black pepper
1/2 tsp. Salt
2 eggs
5 oz. Manicotti Package
1 tbsp. Olive oil

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add about a tablespoon of salt to the water. Once the water comes to a boil, add the manicotti and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes.
Drain the pasta and reserve a cup of pasta water to return to the pot. Once the pasta has been drained, rinse with cold water and return to the pot with the pasta water so they don’t stick together, along with a tablespoon of olive oil and lightly toss to coat.
Bring a large skillet pan to medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, about 7-10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, 2-3 minutes—season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add the Marinara Sauce to the cooked ground beef, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano leaves, and dried basil, and stir. Reduce heat to simmer.
Add all cheeses (Ricotta, Parmesan, and 1 cup of mozzarella) to a large bowl. Add ½ teaspoon of salt, pepper, and eggs. Add the thawed spinach to the middle of the cheesecloth or a clean hand towel.
Squeeze the excess liquid from the spinach. Add ¾ cup of chopped spinach to the ricotta mixture and the eggs and stir to combine.
Layer the bottom of a 9 X 13-inch baking dish with half of the Marinara meat sauce.
Add the ricotta mixture to the bag and cut the tip using piping or a large freezer bag. Carefully pipe the ricotta mixture into both ends of a single manicotti pasta. Place in a line in the middle of the casserole dish until the dish is filled in a single layer.
Finally, top the manicotti with the remaining sauce and sprinkle with the rest of the shredded mozzarella cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and place in the oven to cook covered for 15 minutes and uncovered for 10 minutes. Allow to cool, garnish with fresh chopped parsley, and serve.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Category: Main Dish
Method: Cook
Cuisine: Italian