Creamy Baked Manicotti Recipe
Discover the ultimate comfort food with this Manicotti Recipe featuring a silky ricotta center and a clever vodka-cream sauce infusion that ensures every bite is rich, velvety, and perfectly seasoned.
Equipment
- 11x17-inch baking dish
- Large Pot
- Mixing Bowls
- Colander
Ingredients
- 5 ½ ounces manicotti pasta
- 1 pint part-skim ricotta cheese
- 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 1 (16 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
Instructions
Set up your kitchen
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) to ensure an even bake from the start.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season it generously with salt until it tastes like the sea.
Boil the manicotti, then cool it fast
- Cook the manicotti pasta for 10 to 12 minutes until al dente. The tubes should be flexible enough to stuff but firm enough to hold their shape.
- Drain the pasta and immediately rinse with cold water until completely cool to stop the cooking process and prevent tearing.
Mix the creamy filling and finish the sauce
- In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, 1/2 cup of Parmesan, eggs, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir until the mixture is creamy and well combined.
- In a separate container, stir a splash of heavy cream and a pinch of red pepper flakes into the jarred spaghetti sauce for a restaurant-style finish.
Stuff, sauce, and bake until bubbling
- Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce into the bottom of an 11x17-inch baking dish to create a non-stick layer.
- Fill each pasta shell with approximately 3 tablespoons of the cheese mixture. Fill from both ends toward the middle to prevent air pockets.
- Arrange the stuffed shells in a single layer, cover completely with the remaining sauce, and sprinkle with the final 1/4 cup of Parmesan.
- Bake for 45 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and the edges of the cheese are golden brown.
Notes
Piping Bag Hack: Use a gallon Ziploc bag with a corner snipped off to pipe the filling into the tubes quickly and without mess.
Doneness Tip: Use a meat thermometer to ensure the center of the manicotti reaches 165°F. This ensures the egg binder is fully set while keeping the filling creamy.
Storage Tip: This dish can be assembled a day in advance and refrigerated. For freezing, assemble but do not bake. Thaw overnight in the fridge before baking as directed.
Nutrition information is estimated based on common ingredients and serving sizes and may vary.
Nutrition
Calories: 425kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 23gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 840mgPotassium: 375mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 18IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 42mgIron: 10mg
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