This manicotti recipe is pasta bake consolation meals at its most interesting! This straightforward no-boil technique permits you to bask in layers of creamy cheese and savory filling with out the fuss.
Searching for a comfortable pasta bake? Do that manicotti recipe, traditional Italian American consolation meals at its most interesting! There’s one thing so irresistible about pasta tubes crammed with three cheeses and bathed in garlicky, tangy tomato sauce. This recipe is actually the simplest solution to make manicotti: you don’t even must boil pasta! No stovetop cooking required, and no fumbling stuffing flimsy pasta tubes. Fill them dry, then pop them within the oven so you possibly can get pleasure from all of the creamy cheese and savory filling with out the fuss!
What’s manicotti?
Manicotti are giant pasta tubes which are pointed on the finish with ridges, meant to be stuffed and baked. The phrase comes from the Italian phrase manicotto, which means “huge sleeves.” Manicotti is a well-liked Italian American pasta bake the place the pasta is full of a ricotta filling that may be both meat crammed or vegetarian.
What’s the distinction between manicotti vs cannelloni? Cannelloni are giant tubes identical to manicotti, however they’re easy and have flat ends. They’re most frequently served with a meat filling, whereas manicotti will be vegetarian or with meat.
What makes this the best manicotti recipe
As we researched this manicotti recipe, we noticed the identical grievance time and again: “Why is it so exhausting to fill manicotti?” When you boil the pasta tubes, they will grow to be very delicate and troublesome to fill. You can even overcook them, risking rubbery pasta.
As a substitute, this manicotti recipe is a no boil recipe so the dry pasta cooks within the sauce whereas baking. You’ll fill the pasta tubes whereas they’re dry, then add 1 cup water to the marinara sauce which is sufficient moisture to cook dinner the pasta similtaneously baking. (Observe that you just don’t want to purchase no boil pasta, simply customary manicotti.) The pasta comes out completely al dente: it’s magical!
Boiling choice
In fact in the event you favor cooking the pasta, you are able to do that too! Boil the pasta tubes earlier than baking, fill them utilizing a pastry bag, take away the 1 cup water from Step 2, and shorten the bake time by half-hour!
Finest methods to fill the pasta
Manicotti is notoriously difficult to fill. It’s best to make use of a pastry bag to fill the tubes, because it squirts the filling proper in. However in the event you’re like me, you may like avoiding the mess and trouble of pulling out your pastry bag.
Since this recipe makes use of dry pasta, it’s simpler to fill! You possibly can merely use a protracted spoon or different utensil to fill the manicotti. It takes barely longer than the pastry bag, however it does the job effectively!
Components for this manicotti recipe
This manicotti recipe has a 3 cheese filling, stuffed ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese together with with spinach, garlic, and herbs. Don’t fear: meat lovers received’t miss the meat! This one went over extraordinarily effectively with family and friends! If you happen to favor meat, you possibly can substitute the spinach for ¾ pound cooked and seasoned floor beef or sausage. Right here’s what you’ll want for this manicotti recipe:
- Manicotti
- Hearth roasted crushed tomatoes
- Garlic
- Olive oil
- Dried oregano
- Dried tarragon (elective)
- Frozen spinach
- Ricotta, Parmesan and mozzarella cheese
- Egg
- Contemporary parsely
- Kosher salt and pepper
Hearth roasted tomatoes, & why to keep away from jarred sauce
You’ll discover from the record above that this manicotti recipe makes use of a do-it-yourself tomato sauce with fireplace roasted tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and dried oregano. Hearth roasted tomatoes are key to the flavour: they’re roasted over an open flame so their taste is good and developed proper out of the can. If you happen to can’t discover them, use your highest quality canned crushed tomatoes and add ¼ teaspoon sugar.
Keep away from substituting jarred marinara sauce on this recipe! We examined this recipe with jarred marinara sauce and the flavors tasted flat and uninspired. It takes simply 5 minutes to stir collectively the marinara sauce for this recipe: don’t skip it!
What to serve with manicotti
Need to make this manicotti recipe right into a meal? Listed here are just a few nice easy sides you may make that don’t require an oven whereas your manicotti bakes:
This manicotti recipe is…
Vegetarian.
Description
This manicotti recipe is pasta bake consolation meals at its most interesting! This straightforward no-boil technique permits you to bask in layers of creamy cheese and savory filling with out the fuss.
- 8 ounces manicotti (14 shells)
- 28 ounces fireplace roasted crushed tomatoes
- 2 garlic cloves, minced (divided)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano, divided
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 10 ounces frozen spinach, thawed
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons minced contemporary parsley, plus ½ tablespoon for garnish
- ¼ teaspoon dried tarragon (elective)
- Black pepper, to style
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Make the tomato sauce: In a medium bowl, combine the hearth roasted tomatoes, 1 clove grated or minced garlic, olive oil, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Combine effectively till all of the olive oil is included. Stir in 1 cup water (this added moisture permits the dry pasta to cook dinner whereas baking*).
- Squeeze all of the liquid out of the spinach utilizing a strainer over the sink. Combine the spinach, ricotta cheese, ½ cup Parmesan cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, 1 minced garlic clove, egg, parsley, the tarragon, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and contemporary floor black pepper to style.
- Unfold 1 cup of the tomato sauce into the underside of a 9 x 13” baking dish.
- Use a pastry bag or lengthy spoon to put the filling into the dry manicotti pasta. Then place every pasta tube into the dish.
- Prime with the remaining tomato sauce. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese and ¼ cup Parmesan cheese. Cowl with aluminum foil.
- Place the pan within the oven and bake coated with foil for 45 minutes, then uncover and bake for quarter-hour.
- Garnish with extra chopped parsley. Permit to face for five to 10 minutes earlier than serving.
Notes
*This manicotti recipe is a no boil recipe so the dry pasta cooks within the sauce whereas baking. You’ll fill the pasta tubes whereas they’re dry, then add 1 cup water to the marinara sauce which is sufficient moisture to cook dinner the pasta similtaneously baking. (Necessary: you don’t want to purchase no boil pasta, simply customary manicotti.) If you happen to favor cooking the pasta, you possibly can boil the pasta tubes earlier than baking, fill them utilizing a pastry bag, take away the 1 cup water from Step 2, and shorten the bake time by half-hour!
- Class: Major dish
- Technique: Baked
- Delicacies: Italian
- Weight-reduction plan: Vegetarian
Key phrases: Manicotti, manicotti recipe
