Easy Baked Manicotti Recipe with Cheese

Tender manicotti stuffed with seasoned ricotta and basil topped with delicious marinara and loads of cheese! This easy baked manicotti recipe is the perfect Italian-inspired family dinner that’s comforting, hearty, and cozy.

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Who here is a fan of baked pasta recipes? Me! Me! Erik and I simply had a blast making this easy manicotti recipe because… we got to stuff it with cheese!! (Amongst other things. Haha.)

Easy Manicotti Recipe Stuffed with Cheese!

It was so much fun mixing three kinds of cheese, a few tasty homemade ingredients including Italian seasoning and garlic salt in a bowl, stuffing cooked manicotti pasta shells with all of that cheese and dousing it all with delicious marinara sauce and even more cheese!

The result? The best easy baked Manicotti recipe ever. You and your loved ones will keep coming back to this recipe for a cozy and comforting Italian-inspired dinner, lunch, and even make-ahead meals! (Freezer instructions included!)

What is Manicotti?

But first, what is manicotti? In Italian, “manicotti” means little sleeves. Manicotti refers to an Italian American pasta that is usually cooked, then stuffed with ricotta cheese and other ingredients including veggies and herbs. Manicotti can refer to the actual pasta or the pasta dish.

Baked Manicotti Recipe Ingredients

• Manicotti
• Cheese: Three delicious kinds of cheese stuff this baked manicotti recipe, while two are used for the lightly golden brown topping: ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese.
• Spinach + Basil: I use a combination of spinach and basil for a more flavorful profile. Who can resist the aroma of fresh basil?
• Seasonings: this tasty trifecta of homemade Italian seasoning, dried onion, and homemade garlic salt make this manicotti the best.
• Egg: we use one large egg to bind together the stuffing for manicotti
• Marinara: you can use homemade or store-bought, just be sure to use your favorite for the best taste.

How to Make Manicotti?

Let’s learn how to cook, stuff, and bake manicotti for this easy dinner recipe!

How to Cook Manicotti Pasta

You’ll start by cooking manicotti according to the package directions; just make sure to undercook the pasta just a tad so the sleeves aren’t too fragile to stuff later on. Then, drain the pasta and rinse it with cold water.

Coat a baking sheet in cooking spray to avoid sticking, then place the manicotti in a single layer on the sheet. This will be your workstation.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, mix together ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, spinach, basil, seasonings, and the egg until combined. This is your manicotti stuffing.

Now, pour half of the marinara sauce into a 9×13-inch baking pan. Smooth into an even layer.

How to Stuff Manicotti

Next, we’re going to learn how to fill manicotti. You can use a spoon or a piping bag here, but I highly recommend using a piping bag for much easier stuffing.

Fill a piping bag with the cheese mixture, pressing the mixture towards the tip of the bag and twisting the bag at the open end to keep it sealed.

Using one hand to gently hold a manicotti sleeve, use the other hand to pipe into the sleeve from the center to the edge. Turn the half-stuffed manicotti to the empty end and pipe to fill the rest of it.

Place stuffed manicotti into marinara-lined baking dish. Repeat until all manicotti are filled.

Once complete, pour the remaining marinara sauce to fully coat the stuffed manicotti.

Then, top with remaining mozzarella and parmesan.

How Long to Bake Manicotti

Today’s easy manicotti recipe takes about 30 minutes to bake at 350°F. Depending on your oven, your manicotti could bake for 30-40 minutes. Just bake it until bubbly.

Can You Freeze Manicotti?

Yes, you can freeze manicotti. Simply follow the recipe as directed, but instead of baking, cover with parchment paper and foil. Then freeze.

To bake, you can 1) allow the manicotti to thaw in the refrigerator until it’s no longer frozen in the center, then bake as directed while tacking on maybe 10 more minutes or so until the internal temp is 160°F.

Or, bake frozen until the center is 160°F. Just keep in mind that frozen manicotti isn’t quite as good as fresh-made manicotti.

Tools You Need

• 9×13-inch baking pan
• piping bag

Want More?

For more delicious recipe ideas, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. If you’ve tried this recipe, leave a comment and review. You can also take a pic and tag us on Instagram using #beamingbaker. We can’t wait to see it!

Sending you all my love and maybe even a dove, xo Demeter ❤️

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