Stuffed manicotti is a rich, comforting pasta dish that is fun to make and a total crowd-pleaser. You'll find our Test Kitchen's stuffed manicotti recipe requires a lot of the same ingredients as a classic lasagna, with a few delicious twists. The main difference is you'll be cutting into a tender stuffed pasta noodle (or shell) that's stuffed with a cheesy, creamy, totally swoon-worthy ricotta filling. If you've had stuffed manicotti at a restaurant but have yet to try making it yourself, get some of our best tips on making manicotti for a meal the family will request again and again.
What Is Stuffed Manicotti?
Manicotti, Italian for "little muffs," is a large tubular pasta that is stuffed, covered in sauce, and baked. What's put inside stuffed manicotti can vary, but most traditional versions of Italian-American pasta dish contain either a cheese filling made with ricotta or meat—also commonly called cannelloni.
Stuffed Manicotti Ingredients
- Pasta: Large manicotti noodles are traditional, but you can also use jumbo pasta shells in this stuffed manicotti recipe.
- Cheese: We blend ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan for the best flavor and creamy consistency. An Italian blend of shredded cheese would be super tasty here, too.
- Eggs: A couple of eggs help bind the cheesy filling together.
- Italian Seasoning: This dried herb blend adds the classic Italian flavor to the sauce and filling. If you don't have any on hand, use one or a combo of dried basil and oregano.
- Ground meat: Ground beef or bulk Italian sausage add the savory meaty flavor to the homemade meat sauce. You can swap in ground turkey or plant-based crumbles.
- Onion: Chopped onion adds balance and sweetness to the sauce.
- Garlic: A few cloves cooked in the sauce adds it's signature aromatic flavor to the sauce.
- Red wine: We like a splash of red wine in the sauce for a deeper, richer flavor. You can also use chicken broth.
- Crushed tomatoes: Canned crushed tomatoes are the base of our signature manicotti meat sauce.
- Fennel Seed: A common aromatic seed used to flavor sausage, it's sweet, earthy, flavor is perfect in this sauce.
Tips for Stuffing Manicotti Noodles
- Slightly undercook the manicotti noodles to help them not tear or fall apart while assembling the dish. They'll finish cooking to their tender state in the oven.
- Struggling to get the filling in the manicotti? Put the filling in a pastry bag fitted with a large tip and easily squeeze it into each noodle. You can also try using a long spoon such as an iced tea spoon and using the long side to add the filling.
Using Stuffed Shells Instead of Manicotti
Change up this stuffed pasta recipe to your liking. To stuff shells instead of manicotti, mound the filling into 12 to 15 cooked jumbo pasta shells.
Ingredients
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12 dried manicotti
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1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 oz.)
Cheesy Ricotta Filling
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1 15 ounce carton whole milk ricotta cheese
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2 eggs, lightly beaten
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1 cup shredded mozzarella (4 oz.)
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½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese (2 oz.)
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1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, crushed
Manicotti Meat Sauce
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8 ounce ground beef and/or bulk Italian sausage
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½ cup chopped onion
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3 cloves garlic, minced
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¼ cup dry red wine or chicken broth
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1 15 ounce can crushed tomatoes
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1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
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2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, crushed
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1 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed
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¼ teaspoon black pepper
Directions
Cheesy Ricotta Filling
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In a medium bowl combine one 15-oz. carton whole milk ricotta cheese, 2 eggs, lightly beaten, 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 oz.), 1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese (2 oz.), and 1 tsp, dried Italian seasoning, crushed. Using a small spoon, fill each manicotti with about 1/4 cup cheese mixture.
Manicotti Meat Sauce
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In a large skillet cook 8 oz. ground beef and/or Italian sausage, 1/2 cup onion, and 3 cloves garlic, minced, over medium-high heat until meat is browned, stirring to break up meat as it cooks. Drain fat. Stir in 1/4 cup wine or chicken broth; bring to boiling. Stir in one 15-oz. can crushed tomatoes, one 15-oz. can tomato sauce, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 1 tsp. fennel seeds, and 1/4 tsp. black pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stuffed Manicotti
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook manicotti according to package directions; drain. Place manicotti in a single layer on greased foil.
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Fill manicotti with the cheese filling. Arrange in a 2-qt. rectangular baking dish. Pour sauce over pasta.
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Bake, covered, 30 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, 10 minutes more or until mixture is heated through and cheese is melted. (If using Creamy Parmesan Sauce, bake, covered, 35 to 40 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with cheese, then let stand until cheese is melted.)
Spinach-Pancetta Stuffed Manicotti with Creamy Parmesan Sauce Variation
Prepare Cheesy Ricotta Filling as directed, except thaw and squeeze liquid from half of a 10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach. In an 8-inch skillet cook 4 oz. chopped pancetta or bacon over medium heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Stir pancetta and spinach into ricotta mixture and reduce mozzarella cheese to 1/2 cup in ricotta mixture. For sauce, in a 3-qt. saucepan melt 3 Tbsp. butter over medium heat. Add 3 cloves garlic, minced, and sauté 1 minute. Stir in 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. black pepper. Gradually whisk in 2 1/2 cups milk. Cook, whisking constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Cook, whisking constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Assemble stuffed manicotti or shells and cook as directed above.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
| 515 | Calories |
| 25g | Fat |
| 41g | Carbs |
| 33g | Protein |
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings Per Recipe 6 | |
| Calories 515 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 25g | 32% |
| Saturated Fat 13g | 65% |
| Cholesterol 147mg | 49% |
| Sodium 886mg | 39% |
| Total Carbohydrate 41g | 15% |
| Total Sugars 9g | |
| Protein 33g | 66% |
| Vitamin C 13mg | 14% |
| Calcium 495mg | 38% |
| Iron 4.4mg | 24% |
| Potassium 703mg | 15% |
| Fatty acids, total trans 1g | |
| Folate, total 124.4mcg | |
| Vitamin B-12 1.5mcg | |
| Vitamin B-6 0.4mg | |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
