Spinach Manicotti
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
30 mins
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Cook Time
25 mins
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Total Time
55 mins
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Servings
6
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Calories
431 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Italian
Spinach Manicotti
Description
Spinach Manicotti features manicotti noodles filled with a mixture of thawed, well-drained spinach, garlic, roasted red peppers, and a rich combination of ricotta, mozzarella, Grana Padano cheese, and egg to bind. The filling is seasoned with dried basil, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, kosher salt, and black pepper to enhance its depth. The noodles are cooked just shy of al dente to hold their shape during baking. Once filled, the manicotti is baked in marinara sauce at 375°F, allowing the flavors to meld and the cheeses to melt into a creamy, tender filling. The roasted red peppers add a subtle sweetness and texture contrast to the spinach.
This dish serves well as a hearty vegetarian main course accompanied by a fresh green salad or crusty bread to soak up the sauce. It offers a balance of tender pasta and creamy yet herbaceous filling with a touch of spice from the red pepper flakes.
The recipe includes detailed steps for squeezing excess moisture from frozen spinach to maintain the proper filling consistency and recommends drizzling cooked noodles with olive oil to prevent sticking before stuffing.
Ingredients
- 8 ounce Manicotti noodles package
- 4 teaspoons olive oil divided
- ¾ teaspoon basil dried
- ¾ teaspoon oregano dried
- ¼-½ teaspoon red pepper flakes crushed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt or 1/2 teaspoon Morton's, Diamond Crystal brand
- 10 ounce spinach thawed and squeezed dry, frozen, in package
- ½ cup red bell pepper drained, patted dry and chopped, roasted, from a jar
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups ricotta cheese whole milk
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese divided, grated
- ½ cup Grana Padano cheese or parmigiano reggiano, grated
- 1 large egg
- 3 cups marinara sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375° F.
- Cook the manicotti noodles to 2 minutes before "al dente" according to the manufacturers instructions. Drain the noodles and transfer to a rimmed sheet pan. Drizzle with a teaspoon of olive oil to coat and set aside to cool.
- Squeeze all of the liquid out of the spinach until it's mostly dry. (You can do this with your clean hands, or my preferred method is to wrap it in a clean dish towel, secure the ends and twist and squeeze with a lot of pressure, so the excess liquid leaks out.) Set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes until the garlic softens and is fragrant.
- Stir in the basil, oregano, crushed red pepper, salt and black pepper and cook for one minute until fragrant. Add the spinach and cook, stirring regularly for about 1-2 minutes or until well mixed. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Add the chopped bell pepper to the spinach mixture and stir well to combine.
- Add the ricotta, 1 cup of grated mozzarella and the grana adana cheeses to the spinach mixture. Make a well in the center of the cheese and add the egg. Whisk the egg and gradually incorporate the cheeses and spinach mixture until everything is well blended.
- Transfer the spinach mixture to a large disposable piping bag (or use a quart sized zip top storage bag and seal it.) Snip the end off the bag to allow for a 1/2" opening.
- Spread 1 to 1½ cups of marinara sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Set aside.
- Insert the end of the bag into a cooked manicotti noodle and squeeze the filling into the pasta. Transfer the pasta to the baking dish. Continue stuffing the manicotti with the ricotta and spinach mixture, until all the noodles are filled and the casserole is full.
- Spoon the remaining marinara over the pasta and top with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling. Serve.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 431 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 431kcal | 22% |
| Carbohydrates | 25g | 8% |
| Protein | 27g | 54% |
| Fat | 26g | 40% |
| Saturated Fat | 14g | 70% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 8g | 40% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 108mg | 36% |
| Sodium | 1675mg | 70% |
| Potassium | 750mg | 16% |
| Fiber | 4g | 16% |
| Sugar | 6g | 12% |
| Vitamin A | 6889IU | 138% |
| Vitamin C | 17mg | 19% |
| Calcium | 556mg | 56% |
| Iron | 4mg | 22% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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