Cheesy Stuffed Manicotti with Meat Sauce (Printable)
Cheese-filled pasta tubes baked in rich homemade meat sauce for a comforting Italian dinner.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Meat Sauce
01 - 1 tbsp olive oil
02 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
04 - 1 lb ground beef
05 - 1 (24 oz) can crushed tomatoes
06 - 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
07 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
08 - 1 tsp dried basil
09 - 1 tsp dried oregano
10 - ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
11 - 1 tsp sugar
12 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
→ Cheese Filling
13 - 1 (15 oz) container ricotta cheese
14 - 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
15 - ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
16 - 1 large egg
17 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (or 2 tsp dried)
18 - ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
19 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
→ Pasta
20 - 12 manicotti shells (uncooked)
→ Assembly
21 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
22 - ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
23 - Fresh basil or parsley, for garnish (optional)
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray or oil.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion for 3-4 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 additional minute until fragrant.
03 - Add ground beef to the skillet and cook until thoroughly browned, breaking up the meat with a spoon. Drain excess fat from the pan.
04 - Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, dried basil, oregano, red pepper flakes (if using), sugar, salt, and black pepper. Simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens.
05 - Cook manicotti shells in salted boiling water for 1-2 minutes less than package instructions indicate. Drain and rinse gently with cold water to stop the cooking process.
06 - In a large mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, 1½ cups mozzarella, ¾ cup Parmesan, egg, parsley, nutmeg, salt, and black pepper. Mix until smooth and well blended.
07 - Fill each manicotti shell with the cheese mixture using a piping bag, spoon, or zip-top bag with the corner snipped off.
08 - Spread 1 cup of meat sauce evenly across the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Arrange filled manicotti in a single layer over the sauce bed.
09 - Spoon remaining meat sauce evenly over the filled pasta. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella and ½ cup Parmesan cheese.
10 - Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes.
11 - Remove foil and continue baking for 10-15 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden brown on top.
12 - Allow the dish to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh basil or parsley if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The cheese filling stays incredibly creamy because the pasta finishes cooking right in the sauce.
- That homemade meat sauce simmers into something that tastes like it came from an Italian grandmother kitchen.
02 -
- Those manicotti shells are slippery little devils when warm, so a gentle cold water rinse makes them easier to handle.
- Do not skip the foil cover or your pasta will dry out before the filling heats through.
03 -
- Let the meat sauce cool slightly before assembling or the cheese filling will melt and run everywhere.
- That pinch of nutmeg in the filling is the secret that makes people ask for your recipe.