Spinach and Three Cheese Manicotti
Spinach, Ricotta, Parmesan, and Mozarella stuffed in a delicious simple sauce and baked to perfection.
Ingredients
Sauce:
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes, undrained or 1 quart home-canned crushed tomatoes, see note
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 medium cloves garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried basil or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh
Cheese Filling:
- 2 cups (15 ounces) ricotta cheese see note
- 10 ounces frozen spinach thawed, drained and squeezed dry with paper towels
- 2 ounces (about ¾ cup) grated Parmesan cheese
- 5 ounces (about 1 cup) shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried parsley or 1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh
- ¾ teaspoon dried basil or 2 teaspoons chopped fresh
Pasta & Cheese Topping:
- 15 lasagna noodles see note
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella or Parmesan cheese or a combination of the two
Instructions
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Adjust oven rack to center and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
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Pour crushed tomatoes in blender jar or food processor and pulse until desired consistency is reached (this step is optional but handy for picky kiddos).
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Heat oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes (if using) in a medium saucepan over medium heat until fragrant but not brown, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, basil, ¼ teaspoon salt, and sugar (see note for home canned tomatoes) and simmer until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes.
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In a medium bowl, combine thawed and squeezed dry spinach, ricotta cheese, ¾ cup Parmesan cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, beaten eggs, salt, pepper, parsley, and basil. Mix together with a fork until well combined. Set aside.
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Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water according to package directions for 6-7 minutes, until barely tender. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. Lay flat on parchment paper until ready to use.
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Spread bottom of baking dish with enough sauce to barely cover (about ⅓ to ½ cup).
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Spread 3 tablespoons (I use a large #20 cookie scoop) of cheese mixture evenly on bottom three-quarters of each noodle, leaving top quarter of noodle exposed. Starting at the filled end, roll into tube shape and arrange in baking dish seam side down.
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Top evenly with remaining sauce, making sure that all the pasta is completely covered. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
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Cover with foil (spray foil first on underside to prevent sticking) and bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake 10-15 minutes more, until bubbly. Turn on broiler and broil for 2-3 minutes until cheese is browned and bubbly (optional, but yummy if you like browned cheese). Remove from oven and let sit 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
1. For this recipe, I like to use a quart of home-canned tomatoes. Because home canning food safety practices recommend adding vinegar to home-canned tomatoes, I add 1 to 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar to the sauce to counteract the acidity from the vinegar.
2. My favorite ricotta to use is this homemade ricotta cheese. It is so delicious!
3. I prefer using lasagna noodles as they are easier to roll, but you can also use the regular manicotti shells or even large shells if you like. I like to use the Barilla brand of pasta for all my pasta recipes. I use the regular lasagna noodles for this recipe (not the no-boil noodles), and cook them just 6-7 minutes so they are just barely soft.
4. This recipe makes just the right amount of sauce to cover the manicotti without a lot of extra. If you like things extra saucy, 1.5x or 2x the sauce recipe.