Here’s how I made it! I cursed a LOT while I tried to stuff those little buggers, but it was worth the effort. Recommend short boil time or not boiling the pasta at all and use an actual piping bag not a ziploc baggy stand-in (no matter who tells you that a ziploc bag will work in place of a real piping bag for this, they’re a big liar…the filling is too heavy for standard ziploc baggies and it will FALL OUT and ON THE FLOOR. *I PROMISE.* )
**Sauce:**
* 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil * 1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced * 2 tablespoons butter * 8 cloves garlic, peeled and minced * ¼ cup tomato paste * 1 28- ounce can crushed tomatoes * 1 15- ounce can crushed tomatoes * 1 tablespoon sugar * Crushed red pepper to taste * 4 sprigs basil * Salt and pepper to taste
**Filling:**
* 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil * 16- ounce package fresh spinach or use 2 10-ounce packages frozen, thawed spinach * 16 ounces ricotta cheese * 8 ounces (2 cups) grated mozzarella cheese * 2 eggs * 8 basil leaves, minced * ½ lemon, juiced * Salt and pepper to taste
**For serving:**
* 8-ounce package manicotti * ½ cup grated mozzarella * Fresh basil leaves, optional
**Instructions**
**Prepare the sauce:**
1. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6–8 minutes. Add the butter to the pot. Once melted, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. 2. Add the tomato paste and mash it into the onion and garlic. Cook for 4–5 minutes until it deepens in color. 3. Add the crushed tomatoes, sugar, crushed red pepper, and basil sprigs. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low. 4. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and continue simmering for at least 1 hour, uncovered, until the sauce is thick and jammy. Taste and season to your preferences, and discard the basil sprigs.
**Cook the spinach (optional):**
1. If using fresh spinach*, heat 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet. Once hot, add the spinach and ¼ cup of water. Cook, turning regularly, until the spinach wilts completely. Season lightly with salt and pepper. 2. Place the spinach on a paper towel-lined plate in an even layer. Transfer to the freezer for 5–10 minutes. Once the spinach is cool enough to handle, squeeze out all of the excess moisture and then roughly chop. Set aside. Prepare the cheese filling: 3. Mix the ricotta, mozzarella, eggs, basil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Mix with a spoon until smooth. 4. Add the chopped spinach and stir until combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until needed.
**Cook the manicotti (optional):**
1. If parboiling the manicotti, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil first. Add the manicotti and cook for precisely 5 minutes. Drain and rinse until cold water. Set aside. *(See boiling notes below.)*
**Prepare the manicotti:**
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. 2. Add half the pasta sauce to the bottom of a 9”x13” baking dish and smooth it into an even layer. Set aside. 3. Stuff the manicotti with the filling using a long spoon or a piping bag. Be sure each piece of pasta is fully stuffed, but be careful not to overstuff as it will split the pasta. Place the stuffed manicotti into the baking dish on top of the sauce. Continue on until all of the manicotti are stuffed. 4. Spoon 1–2 cups more sauce on top of the manicotti and smooth into an even layer. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup mozzarella on top of the manicotti. Cover the baking dish with foil and transfer it to the oven. Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes. 5. Turn on the broiler and broil for 1–3 minutes until the cheese is browned and bubbly. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5–10 minutes.
**To serve:**
1. Scatter a few fresh basil leaves on top of the casserole. Serve the manicotti with any remaining pasta sauce. Enjoy!
**Notes:**
*If using frozen, thawed spinach, skip sautéing and freezing the spinach. Simply chop it up and continue with the recipe as-is.
You don’t have to boil the manicotti! Here are my suggestions depending on how you want to boil the pasta:
* **No boil:** Cover and bake the casserole for 55 minutes at 350ºF. Remove the cover, bake for 10 minutes more, and then broil for 1–3 minutes. * **5 minute boil time:** Cover and bake the casserole for 40 minutes at 350ºF. Remove the cover, bake for 5 minutes more, and then broil for 1–3 minutes. * **9 minute boil time*:** Bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 400ºF. Broil for 1–3 minutes.
*This is based off the recipe on the back of the Barilla box. It’s the shortest baking time which may be tempting, but these will be the most difficult to stuff. While you can make manicotti without boiling the noodles, I do recommend a 5 minute boil time for the shortest baking time.
1 Comment
Here’s how I made it! I cursed a LOT while I tried to stuff those little buggers, but it was worth the effort. Recommend short boil time or not boiling the pasta at all and use an actual piping bag not a ziploc baggy stand-in (no matter who tells you that a ziploc bag will work in place of a real piping bag for this, they’re a big liar…the filling is too heavy for standard ziploc baggies and it will FALL OUT and ON THE FLOOR. *I PROMISE.* )
**Sauce:**
* 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
* 1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 8 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
* ¼ cup tomato paste
* 1 28- ounce can crushed tomatoes
* 1 15- ounce can crushed tomatoes
* 1 tablespoon sugar
* Crushed red pepper to taste
* 4 sprigs basil
* Salt and pepper to taste
**Filling:**
* 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
* 16- ounce package fresh spinach or use 2 10-ounce packages frozen, thawed spinach
* 16 ounces ricotta cheese
* 8 ounces (2 cups) grated mozzarella cheese
* 2 eggs
* 8 basil leaves, minced
* ½ lemon, juiced
* Salt and pepper to taste
**For serving:**
* 8-ounce package manicotti
* ½ cup grated mozzarella
* Fresh basil leaves, optional
**Instructions**
**Prepare the sauce:**
1. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6–8 minutes. Add the butter to the pot. Once melted, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
2. Add the tomato paste and mash it into the onion and garlic. Cook for 4–5 minutes until it deepens in color.
3. Add the crushed tomatoes, sugar, crushed red pepper, and basil sprigs. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low.
4. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and continue simmering for at least 1 hour, uncovered, until the sauce is thick and jammy. Taste and season to your preferences, and discard the basil sprigs.
**Cook the spinach (optional):**
1. If using fresh spinach*, heat 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet. Once hot, add the spinach and ¼ cup of water. Cook, turning regularly, until the spinach wilts completely. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
2. Place the spinach on a paper towel-lined plate in an even layer. Transfer to the freezer for 5–10 minutes. Once the spinach is cool enough to handle, squeeze out all of the excess moisture and then roughly chop. Set aside. Prepare the cheese filling:
3. Mix the ricotta, mozzarella, eggs, basil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Mix with a spoon until smooth.
4. Add the chopped spinach and stir until combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until needed.
**Cook the manicotti (optional):**
1. If parboiling the manicotti, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil first. Add the manicotti and cook for precisely 5 minutes. Drain and rinse until cold water. Set aside. *(See boiling notes below.)*
**Prepare the manicotti:**
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Add half the pasta sauce to the bottom of a 9”x13” baking dish and smooth it into an even layer. Set aside.
3. Stuff the manicotti with the filling using a long spoon or a piping bag. Be sure each piece of pasta is fully stuffed, but be careful not to overstuff as it will split the pasta. Place the stuffed manicotti into the baking dish on top of the sauce. Continue on until all of the manicotti are stuffed.
4. Spoon 1–2 cups more sauce on top of the manicotti and smooth into an even layer. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup mozzarella on top of the manicotti. Cover the baking dish with foil and transfer it to the oven. Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
5. Turn on the broiler and broil for 1–3 minutes until the cheese is browned and bubbly. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5–10 minutes.
**To serve:**
1. Scatter a few fresh basil leaves on top of the casserole. Serve the manicotti with any remaining pasta sauce. Enjoy!
**Notes:**
*If using frozen, thawed spinach, skip sautéing and freezing the spinach. Simply chop it up and continue with the recipe as-is.
You don’t have to boil the manicotti! Here are my suggestions depending on how you want to boil the pasta:
* **No boil:** Cover and bake the casserole for 55 minutes at 350ºF. Remove the cover, bake for 10 minutes more, and then broil for 1–3 minutes.
* **5 minute boil time:** Cover and bake the casserole for 40 minutes at 350ºF. Remove the cover, bake for 5 minutes more, and then broil for 1–3 minutes.
* **9 minute boil time*:** Bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 400ºF. Broil for 1–3 minutes.
*This is based off the recipe on the back of the Barilla box. It’s the shortest baking time which may be tempting, but these will be the most difficult to stuff. While you can make manicotti without boiling the noodles, I do recommend a 5 minute boil time for the shortest baking time.