Manicotti
Nothing says comforting family dinner quite like cheesy, saucy baked manicotti. Combining the spirit of lasagna with the cheese-filled charm of stuffed shells, this dish features large pasta tubes packed with a rich four-cheese mixture and smothered in homemade meat sauce. It’s the ultimate comfort food, perfect for Christmas dinner or as a heartwarming weeknight meal any time of the year!
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped and divided
- 1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning, divided
- 3/4 tsp. ground black pepper, divided
- 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1 lb. lean ground beef (90/10)
- 1 (28-oz.) can plus 1 (15-oz.) can crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, divided
- 1 (8-oz.) box manicotti shells (about 14)
- 1 (10-oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
- 1 (15-oz.) container whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 cup whole milk small-curd cottage cheese
- 2 1/2 cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella, divided
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
- 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
- Nonstick cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In a large sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft and lightly golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Add 3 cloves of garlic, 1 teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon of black pepper, and the red pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the ground beef and cook, crumbling the meat with a wooden spoon, until the meat is no longer pink.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the sauce until thick, 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in 2 tablespoons of parsley.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the manicotti tubes 2 minutes less than the package instructions. Drain well, rinsing under cold water.
- Place the spinach in the center of a lint free kitchen towel. Pull the four sides up to make a bundle and squeeze very well over the sink to remove as much moisture as possible. Transfer to a cutting board and finely chop.
- In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, 1 ½ cups of mozzarella, egg, ½ cup of parmesan, ¼ cup parsley, nutmeg, the drained spinach, the remaining 2 cloves of garlic, ¼ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of Italian seasoning, and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper. Spoon the mixture into a zip-top bag.
- Spray a 13-by-9 casserole dish with cooking spray. Spoon 2 cups of meat sauce into the prepared dish.
- Using a pair of scissors, cut the corner of the zip-top bag. Pipe the cheese filling into the cooked manicotti, arranging the filled manicotti into a single layer in the dish. Spoon the remaining sauce over the manicotti and cover the dish tightly with foil.
- Bake until bubbling around the edges, 40 to 45 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella and ¼ cup of parmesan. Bake until the cheese is melted and golden, about 15 minutes more.
- Remove the dish from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes before sprinkling with the remaining 2 tablespoons of parsley and serving hot or warm.
Nutrition
Calories: 872kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 51gFat: 50gSaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 175mgSodium: 1354mgPotassium: 1476mgFiber: 7gSugar: 12gCalcium: 795mgIron: 7mg
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