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Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Manicotti
Manicotti is a dish of great comfort. It makes plenty, it’s filling, it’s completely family-friendly, and the leftovers are even better than the freshly made batch. We make this when we have a handful of friends or family around. It’s a nice, no-fuss recipe that everyone seems to love. Make it ahead, keep it in the fridge and toss it in the oven when everybody is ready to eat.
How to Make Manicotti:
You need all of this stuff.
The filling is very simple to make. Just mix it all up in a bowl until it’s well-blended. If you (or your kids) don’t like spinach, you can always leave it out… though I’ve found that you don’t really detect it all that much with all of the other wonderful things and sauce in the recipe. You might consider it a good way to “sneak” some good stuff into dinner.
A layer of sauce goes into the bottom of a 13×9-inch pan.
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.
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.
Cover with a generous layer of marinara sauce.
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.
Cover and bake for about an hour.
Pop open a bottle of red wine and eat! This recipe will feed 6 or 7 hungry people- 2 stuffed shells each is plenty when served with salad and garlic bread.
Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Manicotti
Yield: 6 servings (2 manicotti per serving)
Prep Time: 45 min
Cook Time: 60 min
This recipe for Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Manicotti was inspired by my Mom, who used to make this for all special family occasions before she had to say goodbye to manicotti noodles and go gluten-free.
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 toppingDirections:
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.
Tips:
*It's perfectly okay to use low fat ricotta and low fat cream cheese.
*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.
*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-- it will just take a bit longer and might be a little messy.Source: RecipeGirl.com
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I'm Lori Lange, recipe developer, food writer and Mom. I'm sharing over 2,500 of my favorite recipes and theme menus with you. 
Lauren at KeepItSwee — February 21, 2011 @ 5:10 AM
Wow, this does look delicious! I’ve actually never made manicotti before.
Sarah — February 21, 2011 @ 5:39 AM
I love Manicotti but I always thought it would be difficult to make. This is now on my must try list!
Maria — February 21, 2011 @ 7:28 AM
One of my favorite meals!
Jenny Flake — February 21, 2011 @ 7:46 AM
LOVE manicotti! Gorgeous!
EatLiveRun — February 21, 2011 @ 7:48 AM
I love manicotti but I’ve never made it at home! Thank you for the delicious recipe!
Eliana — February 21, 2011 @ 8:04 AM
This is seriously making my mouth water right now. Is it bad that I want them for breakfast right now?
Blog New Black — February 21, 2011 @ 9:21 AM
Yum! Can’t wait to try these!
Amanda — February 21, 2011 @ 9:56 AM
Yum! I’ve got all the ingredients for this, might have it for dinner tonight!
Kelly @ Evil Shenani — February 21, 2011 @ 10:27 AM
Great tutorial! Love any kind of stuffed pasta, but add spinach and I am likely to be the happiest girl at the table! Yum!
Tracey — February 21, 2011 @ 10:30 AM
I love simple pasta dishes like this – your manicotti look perfect!
doughmesstic — February 21, 2011 @ 11:10 AM
Oh, I am SO hungry. This looks so good!
Crystal — February 21, 2011 @ 12:07 PM
I love the way you stuff your pasta! I’m totally going to do that from now on.
Katrina — February 21, 2011 @ 12:30 PM
This looks lovely! Awesome recipe!
Shannon — February 21, 2011 @ 12:32 PM
I’ve always found this so hard to make, but never realized I could do it without boiling the manicotti! You rock.
I have a question. Why do you add cream cheese? It’s something I’ve never heard of and am curious about it.
Thanks!
Ari Recipes — February 21, 2011 @ 2:58 PM
I love your method for filling the manicotti, so easy and quick .. I used to stay a long time on this stage, using only a teaspoon
)):)))
Tracy — February 21, 2011 @ 3:07 PM
I love how easy these are! Yum!
Laura @ Family Spice — February 21, 2011 @ 7:25 PM
The first time I made manicotti I tried to stuff them with a spoon. You are so right that a pastry bag is MUCH easier!
Cookin' Canuck — February 21, 2011 @ 9:11 PM
I never think to make manicotti, but know my family would absolutely love this dish.
Joyce Pack — February 22, 2011 @ 1:18 PM
I haven’t made manicotti in a long time. I’m going to have to try this. Looks wonderful as usual!
martha — February 22, 2011 @ 1:47 PM
This manicotti recipe looks delicious. I love that you can make it with uncooked pasta which is so much easier to work with. The filling would also be delicious for stuffed shells, another great comfort meal I haven’t had in too long!
Jill — February 22, 2011 @ 3:02 PM
I assembled these today-will bake tomorrow evening. I tried using a large ziplock bag without success to stuff the pasta. Guess I need to invest in some pastry bags!
Lori Lange replied: — February 22nd, 2011 @ 3:36 PM
@Jill, No success using a big zip bag? It’s a little trickier, but I’ve done it before. Maybe just a little filling in the bag at a time… hard to manage it when it’s full.
Michelle @ Brown Eyed Baker — February 22, 2011 @ 7:05 PM
I adore manicotti but I have yet to make it myself. Yours looks delicious!
Misty — February 23, 2011 @ 8:56 PM
Why have I never thought of using uncoiled shells?! I’ve made it many times, cooking the pasta as the box instructs, and the shells always split. Thanks for a great technique tip!
Sylvie@GITK — February 24, 2011 @ 3:17 AM
A favorite in my house for sure! You can’t go wrong with a classic like this.
Jill — February 24, 2011 @ 3:29 AM
Back to leave a quick review…..this recipe is wonderful! I used no fat/low fat for all the cheeses, prepared the dish a day ahead-popped it in the oven after work while we hit the gym. Had my doubts about the uncooked shells, but they were delicious! This is a keeper.
Posti4 — February 24, 2011 @ 8:03 PM
Great photos & recipe
Lori — February 25, 2011 @ 7:22 AM
This is going on the menu as our “Meatless Monday” meal next week! Thanks for sharing!
Alissa — February 25, 2011 @ 11:52 AM
WOW! Thanks for this recipe!
Monica — February 26, 2011 @ 9:51 AM
Great way to fill the shells–your photos are provide a clear demo. Thanks!
Lori — March 1, 2011 @ 9:32 AM
Made this last night and it was delicious! Next time, I won’t put all of the filling in the Ziploc bag at once. That was the most difficult part of the recipe, and that wasn’t hard at all! Will make this again and again.
Lamb — March 2, 2011 @ 6:35 AM
Just bookmarked this one. Geez, I love your site!
Gina B — March 13, 2011 @ 5:14 AM
Made it last night! It was delicious with homemade garlic bread and some wine, just like you said!
Had a tough time filling the manicotti, but I’ll put that down to being completely inexperienced with filled pastas. Worth it in the end!
Jeanne — July 6, 2011 @ 2:59 PM
Although skeptical about not boiling the manicotti beforehand, my curiosity about the surprising addition of cream cheese won. For a large group last night, I whipped up (no exaggeration; this really comes together quickly, especially w/ aide of Ziploc freezer bag for filling duty) two batches and they were wonderful. The filling was rich, creamy and full of flavor and the manicotti were perfectly cooked. Especially considering the elimination of the troublesome old step of boiling manicotti and filling the still warm pasta w/out splitting, yadda, yadda, yadda, this recipe is a keeper!
Lori Lange replied: — July 6th, 2011 @ 4:51 PM
So glad you enjoyed! Yep, so much easier to fill the noodles when they’re not falling apart!
Jess — July 7, 2011 @ 7:39 PM
This was really good! I had never made this before but it was really easy to do. I love your blog! Keep doing the great things you do ( :
Ashlei — August 5, 2011 @ 2:15 PM
Gonna try it tonite and I will let you know how it turns out
It sure looks yummy!
Miranda — August 19, 2011 @ 3:20 PM
I made this the other night for my boyfriend and I,.. delicious!! I forgot to add the cream cheese (which I was really interested in trying out!) but it still turned out really good. Left overs for days! I can’t wait to make this again, and next time I will for sure remember the cream cheese. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
Pasta-man — September 25, 2011 @ 11:36 PM
I work in a pasta manufacturing plant and I would not use raw pasta directly in any dish. The pasta gets exposed to a lot of dust, dirt, and other unsavory things during the drying and packing process. I guess you can rinse it in water but it is better to parboil it in a lot of water. Same thing goes with adding pasta to soup.
Lori Lange replied: — September 26th, 2011 @ 6:43 AM
Hmmm. Interesting. I’ve been doing it all my life- maybe the cooking process gets rid of anything unsavory.
Nicole — September 29, 2011 @ 5:04 PM
PERFECT!
Lori- you are a genius. I love your recipes. They are all wonderful. I made this for dinner tonight and I can definitely say it was worth the two hour wait (I was hungry when I started). Never made Manicotti before, but you made it so easy- especially by not cooking the shells! I was hesitant but after the first bite I was all smiles. I should of know never to doubt you!
Lori Lange replied: — September 29th, 2011 @ 5:39 PM
Yahoo- great to hear that it was a hit. Most people are skeptical of the uncooked noodles, but they work!
Brooke — October 7, 2011 @ 9:44 AM
This receipe looks delicious! I will only be cooking for my husband and I so what is the best way to split this and freeze half it?
Lori Lange replied: — October 8th, 2011 @ 7:18 AM
I’d prepare the recipe in two pans right up until the point before you bake it. Cover the one that you’d like to freeze w/ plastic wrap and foil and freeze it. When you’re ready to bake it, defrost it overnight and then bake as directed. We do this too!
Sharon — October 16, 2011 @ 11:58 AM
I added cremini mushrooms, shallots, garlic cloves to the recipe. Mixed all in a food processor and added to the spinach mix in a large bowl. Delicious!
Lori Lange replied: — October 16th, 2011 @ 12:32 PM
Great additions!
Jill W. — October 27, 2011 @ 6:06 AM
Best.manicotti.ever. Amazing recipe! Thanks Lori!
Smokey — November 1, 2011 @ 9:25 AM
i love manicotti but im not a huge fan of spinach so i substituted basil and chives with a small amount of mushrooms and it came out beautifully
Chloe — November 7, 2011 @ 11:02 PM
OMG!! THIS WAS AMAZING!!! I was a little hesitant with the hard raw shells… But THIS IS DEFINITELY GOING IN MY DINNER RECIPE BOOK!! I absolutely loved it and so did my husband. I’m watching my husband eat a second place right now. Lol!! I only used a half a block of spinach cause im not a huge fan of spinach and it was perfect!!!
Miriam — November 11, 2011 @ 11:59 AM
I just finished making this, but i forgot to add salt. :\ Anways I love yout recipe! I used!
Yami — November 24, 2011 @ 11:26 AM
Thanks a lot for sharing this wonderful recipe. I made it last Sunday and my husband enjoyed it so much that he asked me to do it again today for Thanksgiving dinner so we can share it with the rest of the family. Next time I will add onions, garlic, and mushrooms.
I boiled the manicotti for a few minutes (they were still hard, just to get rid of the powder flavor). I used Ziploc snack bags for the filling. It was pretty easy. Also, I added ½ teaspoon of ground nutmeg to the initial mix. I baked 35 minutes (covered) and an additional 10 minutes (uncovered).
I still need to work on the baking time.
Thanks again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just-a-cook — December 13, 2011 @ 1:39 PM
Pasta-man comment makes me wonder about the “oven ready” lasagna noodles they sell, those must be left raw. And I would agree with the way Lori thinks, maybe baking them for an hour gets rid of whatever is there.
I’ve made manicotti cooking the shells and it’s really annoying when they split. Next time I will try this recipe. Thank you for sharing!
Lori Lange replied: — December 13th, 2011 @ 1:43 PM
Good point!
phillip — December 22, 2011 @ 6:21 AM
i like that i dont have to cook the shells first….it really gets messy and they break after cooking
Lori Lange replied: — December 22nd, 2011 @ 6:21 AM
Exactly!
chuck — January 8, 2012 @ 7:43 AM
Loved it, so much easier not cooking shells ahead of time. Made one little change I added ground italian sausage to the sauce for a little extra kick. Yummy I could live off this….
sara — January 10, 2012 @ 5:58 PM
ugh, never making again. I added chopped bell pepper to the mix, MISTAKE. what a royal mess. Taste is good though.
Dee — January 10, 2012 @ 9:08 PM
I tried this and it was delicious. But my friends don’t like the ricotta or cream cheese. Is it ok to leave out either the ricotta or cream cheese? If so, how do I make up for the loss?
Lori Lange replied: — January 11th, 2012 @ 2:18 PM
I’m not sure it would really be manicotti at all if you had to leave out the ricotta! Not sure what you’d do to substitute that…
Eric — January 14, 2012 @ 6:23 PM
@Dee, I read a recipe today that substituted 1/2 cottage cheese for 1/2 ricotta. I imagine you could use all cottage cheese, but I know a few people who don’t like cottage cheese right along with ricotta and cream cheese. Tofu (drained) would be strange and different, but maybe with the right spices and grated cheese?
My batch is in the oven right now. I added some sage sausage cooked with onions and garlic. I just pulled it out of the oven and tried it…it’s delicious!
Lyre — January 17, 2012 @ 11:15 AM
Looks so delicious ! Will try this recipe for dinner tonight!
Dee — January 18, 2012 @ 9:21 PM
@Eric: Thanks. I would try it out that way next weekend.
megan — January 22, 2012 @ 4:18 PM
Does it really work to not precook the shells? I do hate that half of them split in the boiling stage but I don’t want chewy pasta either.
Lori Lange replied: — January 22nd, 2012 @ 4:40 PM
yes, it really works
Trishy — January 24, 2012 @ 12:52 PM
My Teeny will be making this for us tonight! She is excited for the ‘no cook’ method on the noodles. She is gonna show that noodle who is da boss!!
Lori Lange replied: — January 24th, 2012 @ 8:49 PM
Awesome- let me know how it works out for Teeny!
Carl — January 31, 2012 @ 5:12 AM
I’m a newbie (gave up fast-food) in the kitchen and this recipe went off without a hitch! Ziploc bag route was messy but fun. This is how a recipe website should be (PHOTOS PHOTOS PHOTOS). Thanks and keep up the good work.
Nichole M. — February 3, 2012 @ 5:01 AM
I have made this several time and it is amazing!! This last time we sauted onions, mushrooms and bell peppers and added it to the spinach and cheese mix. IT WAS AMAZING!!! It also easily adjusts to a lasagna if your short on time!
Julie D — February 7, 2012 @ 6:10 PM
Made these for dinner and they turned out great. What a time saver and way easier than having to boil the noodles first.
Thanks for this recipe