Description
This spinach and ricotta stuffed manicotti is the perfect balance of comfort and elegance, making it an ideal choice for a cozy dinner, easy recipe night, or even special occasions. Tender pasta tubes are filled with a creamy, cheesy spinach mixture, then baked in rich marinara sauce and topped with melted mozzarella. Whether you’re looking for dinner ideas, a healthy snack-style comfort meal, or satisfying food ideas, this dish delivers bold flavor with simple ingredients.
Ingredients
12 manicotti pasta shells
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 cups fresh spinach
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 large egg
3 cloves garlic minced
3 cups marinara sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons fresh basil chopped
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C)
2. Cook manicotti shells in salted boiling water until al dente then drain and cool
3. Sauté spinach in olive oil until wilted then cool and squeeze out excess moisture
4. Mix ricotta spinach egg garlic parmesan half mozzarella salt pepper and Italian seasoning
5. Spread marinara sauce on baking dish base
6. Stuff manicotti shells with filling
7. Arrange in dish and cover with sauce
8. Top with remaining mozzarella and parmesan
9. Cover and bake 25 minutes
10. Uncover and bake 10–15 minutes until golden
11. Rest 5–10 minutes garnish and serve
Notes
Always drain spinach thoroughly to avoid watery filling
Slightly undercook pasta to prevent over-soft texture
Use freshly grated cheese for best melting and flavor
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 650mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 85mg
Keywords: easy dinner, comfort food, pasta recipe, vegetarian dinner, baked pasta, food ideas