Make-Ahead Italian Sausage Manicotti
User Reviews
5
38 reviews
Excellent
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Prep Time
30 mins
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Cook Time
45 mins
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Total Time
1 hr 15 mins
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Servings
6
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Italian
Make-Ahead Italian Sausage Manicotti
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This Italian Sausage Manicotti features homemade pasta filled with a mixture of ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, and herbs, complemented by a hearty sausage and tomato sauce. The dish is assembled in a baking dish, topped with additional mozzarella, and baked until bubbly and golden. It is designed for make-ahead preparation and baking before serving.
Description
The recipe begins with a robust sauce made by browning Italian sausage, then simmering with fire-roasted tomatoes, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and fresh basil for flavor depth. The filling combines ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, an egg, fresh herbs, salt, and pepper until smooth.
Homemade pasta batter is whisked from eggs, water, milk, flour, melted butter, and salt, then cooked into sheets to be filled with the cheese and herb mixture. The manicotti tubes are arranged in a baking dish spread with the sausage tomato sauce and topped with shredded mozzarella cheese.
The assembled dish bakes until the sauce bubbles and the cheese topping melts and browns slightly, resulting in rich, cheesy pasta with a savory meat sauce that is suitable for make-ahead preparation and warming before serving.
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Ingredients
For the sauce:
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 8 ounces Italian sausage
- 2 garlic finely minced, medium cloves
- 1 ½ tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 2 14 ½- ounce fire-roasted canned tomatoes can
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup basil roughly chopped, fresh leaves
For the pasta:
- 3 egg large
- ¾ cup water
- ½ cup milk
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons butter cooled slightly, melted
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the filling:
- 8 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese I like whole milk Mozzarella, shredded
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese finely shredded
- 1 egg large
- 3 tablespoons basil optional, finely chopped fresh, or parsley
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
For the topping:
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese I like whole milk Mozzarella, shredded
Instructions
For the sauce:
- Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a medium-large pot over medium heat. Add Italian sausage and cook until golden brown (about 10 minutes), breaking up the sausage with a metal spatula until sausage is crumbly.
- When sausage is golden brown, pour off all accumulated fat except for 1 tablespoon. Add garlic and Italian seasoning to sausage and continue to cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, stirring continually.
- Add fire-roasted tomatoes and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer and cook for 15 minutes until sauce is beginning to thicken.
- Remove from heat, add chopped basil and stir to combine. Transfer sauce to an 8x12 baking dish or 12-inch oval gratin pan
For the filling:
- Combine ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, basil (or parsley), salt and pepper in a medium-size bowl. Stir until well combined. Set aside.
For the pasta:
- Whisk eggs together then add all ingredients together and whisk until smooth. Consistency will be like heavy cream.
- Heat a 6 or 7-inch skillet until hot over medium heat. Remove pan from the burner and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- Add ¼ cup batter to the pan and swirl the pan until the bottom is evenly coated. Cook until the surface becomes slightly dull, about 30-40 seconds. Flip and cook opposite side for another 10-15 seconds. Slide the pasta circle onto a piece of parchment paper.
- Repeat, making 5 more pasta circles, stacking them between pieces of parchment paper.
- Continue with the recipe or refrigerate stack in a ziplock bag, if not using right away.
To fill the pasta:
- Place about ⅙ of the filling (a large rounded tablespoonful) onto the lower end of one of the pasta rounds. Spread filling in an even layer across the circle (see picture above in the post). Bring the lower end of the circle over the filling and roll into a tube shape. Place pasta tube on top of meat sauce in the pan.
- Repeat with remaining pasta rounds, snuggling the filled pasta next to each other on top of the meat sauce.
- Top with 2 cups of shredded Mozzarella.
- Preheat oven to 350˚F. Tent manicotti with foil so that foil is not touching cheeses. Bake for 45 minutes then remove foil and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes (until cheese is beginning to brown at the edges). Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped fresh basil or parsley, if desired.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
38 reviews
Excellent
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