I absolutely love manicotti, but making it can be laborious. I’ve discovered an easy way to make it without boiling and trying to fill slippery noodles.
Baked Manicotti
-1 8-oz. package of manicotti shells (about 14)
- 2c whole-milk ricotta
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 c fresh basil
1/4 c fresh parsley
-2/3c grated Parmesan cheese, divided
-2/3c grated mozzarella, divided
-2/3c grated provolone, divided
-1 10oz package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
-1TBSP Emeril’s essence (recipe in another post)
-1 egg
-salt and pepper
-6 cups red sauce (recipe in another post)
Preheat oven to 350.
Combine ricotta, 1/3 c each of the grated cheese, thawed spinach, egg, essence, salt and pepper in a bowl. Stir with a spatula until combined. Spoon 1 cup of red sauce in the bottom of a casserole. Prepare a pastry bag and fill with ricotta mixture. Fill each manicotti tube with ricotta filling and place on top of sauce in casserole dish (you may need 2 casserole dishes.) Repeat until you have used all of the shells. Spoon 1-2 cups of red sauce until shells are are fully covered. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and cover with aluminum foil.
Bake for 50 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and bake 10 minutes longer until cheese is lightly browned on top.
Leave a Comment