Homemade Spinach Manicotti Recipes

SPINACH CHEESE MANICOTTI

Steps:

• In a small skillet, saute onion in oil for 3 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Set aside. , In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, cream cheese, 4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning and pepper; beat until smooth. Stir in onion mixture and spinach. Stuff into the manicotti shells., Pour half of the spaghetti sauce into a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Arrange shells over sauce; top with remaining sauce., Cover and bake at 350° for 25 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

SPINACH MANICOTTI

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, 1-1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, spinach, sour cream, bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and onion powder. , Combine the tomato juice, salsa and crushed tomatoes; spread 1 cup sauce in an ungreased 13x9-in. baking dish. Stuff uncooked manicotti with spinach mixture; arrange over sauce. Pour remaining sauce over manicotti., Cover and bake at 350° for 55 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake 15 minutes longer or until noodles are tender.

SPINACH RICOTTA STUFFED MANICOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 F°.
• In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, spinach, onion, egg, garlic, Italian seasoning, nutmeg, salt, pepper, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese.
• Spread about 1 cup of the marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch casserole dish.
• Transfer the filling to a piping bag or plastic ziploc bag, cut off a little from one end, this will make it easier for stuffing the shells.
• Stuff each manicotti shell with ricotta mixture and arrange in a single layer in the dish. Cover with remaining sauce. There should be enough sauce to fully cover the manicotti.
• Top with remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese.
• Transfer the dish to the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour covered, then 15-20 minutes uncovered, or until the noodles are soft.
• Serve garnished with basil if preferred and more grated Parmesan cheese.

MANICOTTI

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and cook the manicotti until shy of al dente, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain and cool to handle.
• For the sauce: Place in a food processor the canned tomatoes, garlic, onion, sugar, basil, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper to taste and the EVOO. Blend until smooth, and then place the sauce in a pot. Stir together with the passata or tomato sauce and simmer 20 minutes.
• Pour half of the sauce into large baking dish.
• For the filling: Mix together in a large bowl the spinach, ricotta, half the Parm, salt and pepper to taste and a little nutmeg. Taste to adjust seasonings before adding the eggs. Once the eggs are incorporated, spoon the filling into a large plastic food storage bag and trim the corner. Pipe the filling into the manicotti and put in the baking dish. Cover the casserole with the remaining sauce, Parm and mozzarella. Cover and store for a make-ahead meal.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and bake until brown and bubbly, 30 to 35 minutes.

MAKE-AHEAD SPINACH MANICOTTI

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix ricotta, spinach, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, egg, parsley and seasonings. In another large bowl, mix spaghetti sauce and water; spread 1 cup into a greased 13x9-in. baking dish., Fill uncooked manicotti shells with ricotta mixture; arrange over sauce. Pour remaining spaghetti sauce mixture over top. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. Refrigerate, covered, overnight., Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake, uncovered, 40-50 minutes or until manicotti is tender. Freeze option: Cover and freeze unbaked casserole. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake casserole as directed, increasing time as necessary to heat through and for a thermometer inserted in center to read 165°.

SPINACH MANICOTTI WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bring a pot of water to a boil and immerse spinach in the boiling water until dark green and softened, about 2 minutes. Drain and squeeze out excess moisture.
• Cook sausage in a skillet over medium heat until browned and crumbly, about 10 minutes, stirring often. Drain excess grease. Combine spinach and sausage in a bowl. Mix cottage cheese and 8 ounces of mozzarella cheese into sausage and spinach, stirring until filling is thoroughly combined.
• Use your fingers to stuff uncooked manicotti shells with stuffing. Lay stuffed manicotti into a baking dish, side by side, and pour both jars of sauce over manicotti.
• Bake in the preheated oven until manicotti are tender but still slightly firm to the bite and the filling is hot, 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Sprinkle remaining 4 ounces of mozzarella cheese over the dish, let the cheese melt, and serve.

CHEESE SPINACH MANICOTTI

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, saute onion and garlic in oil until tender. Stir in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, wine, Italian seasoning, sugar and oregano. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally., Meanwhile, for filling, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Stir in the cottage cheese, spinach, Parmesan cheese, eggs and salt., Stuff cream cheese mixture into uncooked manicotti shells. Spread 1 cup sauce into a 13x9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spay. Arrange manicotti over sauce. Pour remaining sauce over top., Cover and bake at 350° for 50-55 minutes or until pasta is tender. Uncover; sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

HOMEMADE SPINACH MANICOTTI

Steps:

• Start by making the crespelles (see recipe link above)
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• In a large bowl, combine ricotta, 1-1/2 cups of the mozzarella, egg, spinach, parmesan cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper.
• Fill each crespelle with 1/4 cup spinach filling and roll.
• In a large baking dish, (or two smaller dishes) pour 1 cup of sauce on the bottom of the dish. Place rolled manicotti seem side down onto baking dish. Top with 1 1/2 cups more sauce and remaining mozzarella cheese.
• Cover with foil and bake about about 25 minutes, until hot and bubbling, and the cheese is melted.
• *Use substitute for vegetarian parmesan.

SPINACH AND CHEESE STUFFED MANICOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Divide mozzarella cheese into 3 portions.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook manicotti in boiling water, stirring occasionally until softened slightly but still firm, about 7 minutes. Drain and rest in a bowl of cold water.
• Combine spinach, Alfredo sauce, Parmesan cheese, and 1 portion mozzarella cheese in a large bowl; mix well and season with salt and pepper. Spoon fill mixture into each manicotti shell. Divide stuffed shells evenly between two 9x13-inch baking dishes. Pour 1 jar spaghetti sauce over each baking dish and sprinkle with equal portions mozzarella cheese. Cover both baking dishes with aluminum foil.
• Bake in preheated oven until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly, about 45 minutes.

OVERNIGHT SPINACH MANICOTTI

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, spinach, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, egg whites, parsley, salt, onion powder, pepper and garlic powder. Combine spaghetti sauce and water; spread 1 cup in an ungreased 13x9-in. baking dish. Stuff uncooked manicotti shells with ricotta mixture; arrange over tomato sauce. Top with remaining sauce. Cover and refrigerate overnight., Remove from the refrigerator 30- minutes before baking. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until heated through.

MANICOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• If using fresh spinach, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat, and season generously with salt. Fill a medium bowl with ice water and season with salt. Boil the spinach until tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, (keep the water in the pot boiling), and immediately plunge the spinach into the ice water. Drain and squeeze the excess water from the spinach, and finely chop. Alternatively, if using thawed spinach, simply squeeze, and finely chop. Set aside.
• In the same large pot of boiling water, cook the manicotti shells according to the package directions until al dente. Drain and pat dry.
• Spread 1 cup of the marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Lightly beat the eggs in a medium bowl. Add the spinach, ricotta, mozzarella, and 1/3 cup of the grated cheese and mix until evenly combined. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt, the nutmeg and pepper. Spoon the cheese mixture into the manicotti shells and line them up in the baking dish. Cover with the remaining 2 cups sauce. Scatter the remaining 2/3 cup grated cheese on top and dot with the butter.
• Bake for 30 minutes. Serve immediately.
• Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the herb sprigs and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes.
• Remove and discard the herb sprigs. Stir in 2 teaspoons salt and season with pepper to taste. Use right away, or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.
• Yield: 3 1/2 cups
• Copyright 2001 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved.

SPINACH MANICOTTI WITH LEMON

Steps:

• Place the ricotta in a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl. Loosely cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the ricotta for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Position a rack in the center of the oven.
• Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the lasagna sheets and stir with a large slotted spoon to ensure that the pasta does not stick as it cooks. Cook until still quite firm, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain the pasta and transfer to a large bowl (you'll use the empty pot later). Gently toss with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to coat. (This is more pasta than you will need, but the extra noodles are backups for any that might break.)
• In a large saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. When the oil begins to smoke lightly, add the spinach, then sprinkle with salt and cook, stirring, just long enough to wilt, 30 to 45 seconds. Quickly remove the pan from the heat and transfer the spinach to a kitchen towel-lined plate to drain and cool.
• Return the medium pot to medium heat, then add the cream and garlic and bring to a gentle simmer, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the Worcestershire, hot sauce and 1/2 cup pecorino. Spoon enough of the sauce to lightly coat the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and set aside.
• In a large bowl, spread the ricotta out on the bottom and up the sides of the bowl (so the seasoning coats most of the cheese). Add the egg and sprinkle with salt. Mix to combine. Add pepper, the lemon zest, lemon juice, tarragon and the remaining 1/2 cup pecorino. Mix to combine. Add the sauteed spinach, reserving some for garnish. Add the allspice and combine thoroughly.
• Arrange the lasagna sheets on a clean, flat surface with the longer sides of the rectangles facing you. Place about 3 tablespoons ricotta on the edge of the sheet closest to you, leaving a little room on either end. Gently roll the pasta up into a tube away from you and place inside the prepared baking dish, seam-side down. Repeat with the remaining pasta and filling, taking care that the manicotti are snug in the baking dish.
• Cover the manicotti with about three-quarters of the sauce. (Keep the remaining sauce warm.) Place the baking dish on the center rack of the oven and bake until lightly browned and the filling is hot in the center when pierced with the tip of a knife, 15 to 20 minutes. Warm the remaining sauce and spoon it over the manicotti. Sprinkle the top with the reserved spinach and freshly grated Pecorino-Romano. Serve warm.

SPINACH CHEESE MANICOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a large bowl, combine ricotta, spinach, onion and egg. Season with parsley, pepper and garlic powder. Mix in 1 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan. In a separate bowl, stir together spaghetti sauce and water.
• Spread 1 cup sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Stuff uncooked manicotti shells with ricotta mixture, and arrange in a single layer in the dish. Cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.
• Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes, or until noodles are soft.