Spinach Manicotti Recipe
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
55 mins
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Total Time
1 hr 15 mins
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Servings
8 Servings
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Calories
427 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Italian
Spinach Manicotti Recipe
Description
Spinach Manicotti features rolled no-boil lasagna noodles filled with a ricotta and Italian cheese blend mixed with finely chopped baby spinach and a touch of seasoning. The sauce is a tomato base cooked down with sautéed onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, and Italian spice mix, delivering subtle heat and herbaceous notes. The pasta rolls are assembled with the filling, placed seam-side down in a baking dish lined with sauce, topped with additional sauce and cheese, then baked until bubbly. This preparation yields tender pasta with a creamy, flavorful spinach-cheese filling, complemented by the bright, slightly spiced tomato sauce.
Serve Spinach Manicotti as a main course alongside a fresh green salad or crusty bread. It works well for both family dinners and entertaining, providing a satisfying vegetarian option that highlights spinach within a classic Italian-American pasta dish.
Oven-ready lasagna noodles used here eliminate the need for boiling pasta separately. Soaking them briefly in hot water makes them pliable for rolling. Cheese substitution options include a pre-packaged Italian blend or a mix of mozzarella and provolone. Reserve some shredded cheese for topping to add a golden, melty finish.
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1 onion chopped, small
- olive oil approx. 1 1/2 Tablespoons, for sautéing
- 2 crushed tomatoes canned 28 ounce
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 5 garlic minced, cloves
- 1 teaspoon Italian spice mix
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- salt
- black pepper
Manicotti
- 16 no-boil oven-ready lasagna noodles
- 3 cups ricotta cheese low-fat is fine
- 4 cups Italian cheese blend shredded, pre-packaged
- OR 2 1/2 cups mozzarella, 1 1/2 cups provolone, shredded
- 1 egg lighten beaten, large
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 baby spinach finely chopped, loosely filled cups
Instructions
- Place oven rack to the middle position and pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
- For Sauce
- Over medium heat, sauté onion in a medium sized sauce pan until soft and fragrant. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, italian spices, and tomato paste. Sauté for 1 minute. Add crushed tomatoes combining all the sauce ingredients, simmering for about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Manicotti Filling
- Reserve 1 cup of cheese to top the manicotti casserole.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine ricotta and remaining 3 cups of cheese, egg, salt, pepper together. Add chopped spinach.
- Pasta
- Soak the no-boil lasagna noodles in hot water (about 5 minutes). Drain water from the noodles and remove some of the water on the noodles by placing them on a clean kitchen towel.
- Assemble
- Spread half of the sauce on the bottom of a 9" x 13" baking dish. Fill each noodle with about a 1/4 cup of the cheese/spinach mixture, rolling from the short side of the noodle.Place the rolled manicotti, seam-side down over the sauce in the baking dish. Spread the remaining sauce over the manicotti and cover with foil. Bake for about 40 minutes. Remove foil and top with remaining 1 cup of cheese. Bake until cheese is melted (about 5 minutes). Let cool 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Oven-ready lasagna noodles negate the need for boiling; soak them briefly in hot water to soften for rolling.
- Use a 9" x 13" baking dish for assembly to accommodate rolled manicotti neatly.
- Reserve a cup of shredded cheese from the total for topping the casserole before baking.
- Chopped baby spinach adds mild flavor and color; adjust quantity to taste.
- Italian spice mix in the sauce provides balanced herb flavors combined with a touch of heat from red pepper flakes.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 427 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1g | |
| Calories | 427kcal | 21% |
| Carbohydrates | 12g | 4% |
| Protein | 27g | 54% |
| Fat | 30g | 46% |
| Saturated Fat | 17g | 85% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 11g | 65% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 113mg | 38% |
| Sodium | 709mg | 30% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 2g | 4% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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