Spinach Manicotti Recipe
Spinach Manicotti is a baked pasta dish featuring no-boil lasagna noodles filled with a creamy mixture of ricotta, shredded Italian cheeses, and chopped baby spinach. The filling is seasoned simply with salt and pepper and lightened with an egg. A homemade tomato sauce enriched with sautéed onion, garlic, Italian spices, and red pepper flakes complements the cheesy pasta rolls. This dish offers a combination of creamy filling, tender pasta, and a savory tomato sauce, making it suitable for a comforting family meal or casual dinner.
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
- black pepper
- salt
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
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 8 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 427
% 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.