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    Home » Recipes » Main Dishes

    Italian Manicotti

    Published on August 6, 2021 - Updated on April 4, 2022 by Chef Rodney - Leave a Comment - This post may contain affiliate links.

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    This Italian Manicotti recipe is the real deal. Super easy to make and tons of flavor as you would expect from an Italian pasta dish
    italian manicotti

    If you are looking for a delicious pasta dish to make for the family, look no further than this Italian Manicotti recipe. Super simple to make and packed full of flavor.

    Cheese & Spinach Filling
    Cheese & Spinach Filling
    Meat Sauce with Zucchini
    Meat Sauce with Zucchini

    The first thing you will most likely notice about this recipe is that you do not need to cook the noodles before baking the dish in the oven. The noodles will cook in the sauce when baked in the oven for 1 ½ hours. I dig this method as it can be a bit challenging to fill hot and soft noodles with the filling. Those of you that have done it before know exactly what I am talking about.

    fresh basil leaves
    Fresh Basil Leaves

    💭 Recipe Tip

    The easiest way I know of for filling the manicotti shells with the filling is to use a cake decorating bag. Put the cheese and spinach filling in the bag and pipe it into the shell. If you don't have a cake decorating bag you can use a zip lock bag by cutting a small piece of one of the bottom corners at an angle.

    Meat Sauce in Baking Dish
    Meat Sauce in Baking Dish
    Manicotti Shells in Baking Dish
    Manicotti Shells in Baking Dish

    What I also like about this manicotti recipe is how versatile it is. You can easily substitute the ground beef for some ground turkey if you prefer. My wife doesn't like mushrooms so you can leave them out or substitute them for something like zucchini. You can also use ricotta cheese instead of cottage cheese.

    Manicotti Shells covered in Meat Sauce
    Manicotti Shells covered in Meat Sauce
    Manicotti ready for Baking
    Manicotti ready for Baking

    🐄 How to Handle Raw Beef

    Thaw raw ground beef on a plate on the lowest shelf of the refrigerator, to avoid dripping onto other foods.
    Keep raw and ready-to-eat meats separate.
    Wash hands thoroughly before and after handling raw ground beef. Wash cutting boards, bowls, and utensils used to prepare raw ground beef with hot soapy water and rinse well.
    Use separate plates to carry raw ground beef patties to the cooking area and cooked patties to the serving area.
    Use a Thermometer to ensure Ground Beef Reaches the Safely Cooked Internal Temperature of 160°F.

    baked italian manicotti

    If you prefer a cheesier pasta dish I suggest you use some shredded mozzarella cheese or Monterey Jack cheese instead of the parmesan cheese. However, you decide to modify this awesome Italian Manicotti recipe I am certain you will absolutely love it!

    Italian Manicotti

    For more great recipes like this one, I suggest you check these recipes out:

    • Mexican Manicotti
    • Italian Tuna Casserole
    • Italian Style Mac and Cheese
    • Cheesy Pasta Pie
    • Spicy Chicken and Black Bean Tacos

    📋 What Ingredients do I need

    You will need the following ingredients to make this Italian Manicotti recipe (see recipe card for quantities): Lean Ground Beef, Minced Garlic, Yellow Onion, Diced Tomatoes, White Mushrooms, Fresh Basil, Italian Seasoning, Frozen Chopped Spinach, Parmesan Cheese, Cottage Cheese, Ground Nutmeg and Manicotti Shells.

    🥣 How to make Italian Manicotti

    Preheat the oven to 325°F.
    In a large skillet, brown the ground beef. Add the garlic and onion and reduce the heat to low. Let simmer for 10 minutes then drain any excess fat.
    Add the tomatoes, mushrooms, basil, Italian seasoning and salt to taste. Mix well. Bring to boil then reduce the heat and let simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    In a bowl, combine the spinach, cottage cheese and ground nutmeg. Set aside.
    Spoon about ⅓ of the beef mixture evenly over the bottom of greased 9 x 13 baking dish.
    Fill the uncooked manicotti shells with the spinach mixture. Place the filled shells on top of the beef mixture in the baking dish.
    Pour the remaining beef mixture evenly over the top of the manicotti shells. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top of the beef mixture.
    Cover and bake for 1 ½ hours.

    Italian Manicotti

    Italian Manicotti

    This Italian Manicotti recipe is the real deal. Super easy to make and tons of flavor as you would expect from an Italian pasta dish
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
    Prep Time 30 mins
    Cook Time 1 hr 30 mins
    Total Time 2 hrs
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 4
    Calories 628 kcal

    Ingredients
     

    • 1 lb Lean Ground Beef
    • 2 teaspoon Minced Garlic
    • 1 Yellow Onion, chopped
    • 28 oz Crushed Tomatoes
    • 1 Cup White Mushrooms, sliced
    • 2 teaspoon Fresh Basil, diced
    • 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
    • 10 oz Frozen Chopped Spinach, thawed & drained
    • ½ Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
    • 16 oz Cottage Cheese
    • ¼ teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
    • 14 Manicotti Shells, al dente
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 325°F.
    • In a large skillet, brown the ground beef. Add the garlic and onion and reduce the heat to low. Let simmer for 10 minutes then drain any excess fat.
    • Add the tomatoes, mushrooms, basil, Italian seasoning and salt to taste. Mix well. Bring to boil then reduce the heat and let simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    • In a bowl, combine the spinach, cottage cheese and ground nutmeg. Set aside.
    • Spoon about ⅓ of the beef mixture evenly over bottom of greased 9 x 13 baking dish.
    • Fill the uncooked manicotti shells with the spinach mixture. Place the filled shells on top of the beef mixture in the baking dish.
    • Pour the remaining beef mixture evenly over the top of the manicotti shells. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top of the beef mixture.
    • Cover and bake for 1 ½ hours.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 628kcalCarbohydrates: 68gProtein: 56gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 1008mgPotassium: 1603mgFiber: 9gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 9006IUVitamin C: 25mgCalcium: 441mgIron: 8mg

    Nutritional information provided for this recipe is based on 1 serving. This information is an estimate and may vary based on several factors. If nutritional information is important to you and your diet, please verify this recipe with a Registered Dietitian.

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    Chef Rodney Headshot

    Hi! I'm Rodney and welcome to my blog. I am a foodie and self-taught cook. After years of experimenting in the kitchen, I decided to share some of my favorite recipes with you. Read More →

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