Go Back
Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Manicotti

Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Manicotti

The ultimate comfort food, Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Manicotti is rich, creamy, and packed with flavor. Perfect for a cozy dinner at home, this dish is an easy weeknight solution that the whole family will love. Make it tonight for a satisfying meal!
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings: 12 manicotti
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 320

Ingredients
  

  • 15 ounces ricotta cheese
  • 8 ounces mozzarella cheese
  • 4 ounces cream cheese
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese
  • 10 ounces spinach
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 box manicotti noodles
  • 4 cups marinara sauce
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese for topping

Equipment

  • Oven
  • Baking Sheet
  • Blender
  • Frying Pan
  • Wooden Spoon
  • Mixing Bowl

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 350℉.
  2. In a large bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, cream cheese, spinach, eggs, salt, and black pepper. Stir together until well blended.
  3. Place about 1½ cups of marinara sauce in a 9×13-inch pan. Spread it around to cover the bottom.
  4. Place the mixed filling into a plastic bag. You can use either a frosting piping bag or a gallon zip bag. Snip the corner, gather the top and squeeze the filling into the corner.
  5. Hold an uncooked manicotti shell in your hand and squeeze the filling inside the shell. Let it overflow on both sides.
  6. Place the filled shell into the sauce-lined pan. Repeat with remaining manicotti and fill the pan with the stuffed shells until you run out of shells and filling.
  7. Cover the pasta completely with marinara sauce, using about 2½ cups. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.
  8. Bake, covered with foil, for 50 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Notes

  • Tip 1: It’s perfectly okay to use low fat ricotta cheese and low fat cream cheese.
  • Tip 2: If you don’t wish to use the spinach, it’s ok to leave it out and just turn this into a cheese-stuffed manicotti.
  • Tip 3: If you don’t wish to use the plastic bag method of squeezing the filling into the shells, you can use a very small spoon or fork to stuff the filling.