In God We Trust

est.1997

Updated November 28,  2018

Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Manicotti
From the kitchen of

Prep Time: 45 min 
Cook Time: 60 min 

Ingredients:
1 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed completely & squeezed dry
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
15 ounces ricotta cheese
4 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup shredded Romano or Parmesan cheese
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 box (12 to 14 shells) manicotti noodles
3 to 4 cups marinara sauce (1 jar + a little more)
1/2 cup shredded Romano or Parmesan cheese, for topping

1. You need all of these ingredients.

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a large bowl, mix spinach, cheeses, eggs, salt and pepper. Stir together until well blended.

3. Place about 1 1/2 cups of marinara sauce in a 9x13-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. Hold an uncooked Manicotti shell in your hand and squeeze the filling inside the shell. Let it overflow on both sides. 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. You should be able to fill 12 to 14 shells- if you run out of room in your pan, use a separate smaller pan to accommodate the extra.

5. Cover the pasta with marinara sauce, using about 2 1/2 cups of sauce. Sprinkle 1/2 cup Romano/Parmesan on top. At this point, you can cover with foil and refrigerate until you're ready to bake, or you can cover with foil and place it in the oven immediately.

6. Bake, covered with foil, 50 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Step by Step begins here.

2. The filling is very simple to make. Just mix it all up in a bowl until it’s well-blended. 

 

3. A layer of sauce goes into the bottom of a 13×9-inch pan.

 

4. The easiest way to stuff Manicotti shells is the put 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.

 

7. Repeat with remaining Manicotti and fill the pan with the stuffed shells,
until you run out of shells and filling. 

 

8. Cover with a generous layer of marinara sauce. 

 

9. Sprinkle cheese on top. At this point, you can cover with foil, refrigerate and then
bake when you’re ready. It’s ok to leave it in the refrigerator overnight. 

 

10. Cover and bake for about an hour. 

 


11. Best served with red wine of your choice!