Cheese Manicotti

No ratings yet

Classic Cheese Manicotti baked in marinara sauce with a creamy three-cheese filling and lots of melty mozzarella. A comforting, family-friendly Italian dinner that’s easy to make.

Prep Time30

Cook Time55

Total Time1 25

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: baked pasta, cheese manicotti, manicotti

Servings: servings

Author: Lori Lange

Equipment

Large Pot (for cooking the pasta)
Strainer (for draining the pasta)
Cutting Board (for setting out the cooked shells)
9x13-inch baking dish (for baking the manicotti)
Aluminum Foil (for covering the manicotti while baking)

Ingredients

One 8-ounce package manicotti noodles
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
⅓ cup finely chopped fresh basil (plus more for garnish)
1 large egg
1 tablespoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon garlic salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
36 ounces jarred marinara sauce

Instructions

Bring a pot of water to boil. Add the manicotti shells to the boiling water, remove it from heat, and let them sit in the hot water for 5 minutes. Drain, and lay out the partially cooked shells on a cutting board.
Preheat the oven to 350℉. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray
In a medium bowl, combine 3 cups of the mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, ½ cup of Parmesan cheese, basil, egg, garlic, garlic salt and pepper.
Spread about 2 cups of the marinara sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish. Stuff each of the manicotti shells with the cheese mixture. Arrange the stuffed manicotti in the dish, and cover with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
Spray foil with nonstick spray, and cover the dish with the foil; bake for 45 minutes. Take off the foil, and sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup of Parmesan. Continue baking 10 more minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Nutrition