Manicotti, which is Italian for little sleeves, can refer to the Italian dish or pasta. Manicotti are stuffed pasta shells filled with creamy cheeses baked in the oven. The ingredients and cooking style are closely similar to lasagna. The only difference is that the pasta shells are stuffed in manicotti rather than layered. This manicotti is perfect for a quick and easy pasta dinner for busy weeknights or emergency dinners.
You don’t need a deep baking dish to make manicotti at home. You can use KITCHENATICS regular baking sheet pans to make this recipe. The rims measure 1.3 inches in height so it will safely keep the ingredients while you bake them. Plus, if you have 2 pans, you can easily make another batch in case you need more. Or, you can use the other sheet pan to quickly make toasted bread.
If you have kids, this is the perfect way to keep them busy by helping you stuff the manicotti shells. This is also a fun cooking activity to teach kids independence and patience.
What’s great about this recipe is you don’t have to cook it right away. You can stuff the manicotti shells ahead of time then just pop them in the oven when needed. Keep the stuffed manicotti in airtight containers and you can freeze them up to 5 days. Now you don’t have to worry about what to cook when you’re too tired or lazy or when guests suddenly arrive.
Now, let’s talk about cleaning up. Since the baking sheet pans have a smooth mirror finish, it’s so easy to handwash them. Just a word of caution though. Spaghetti sauce or marinara sauce is tomato-based. Acid reacts with aluminum so it may cause discoloration. To prevent that, just line your baking sheets with foil. This will also make it easier for you to transfer the leftovers in a container to save for later.
Hope you’ll love this quick and easy pasta dinner as much as we did! This is perfect when served with toasted garlic bread and a crispy salad!
Quick and Easy Manicotti Pasta Dish
Equipment
- 2 pcs baking sheet pans 9.6 x 13 inches
Ingredients
- 5.5 oz manicotti pasta
- 1 pint ricotta cheese
- 8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
- 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese divided
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 1 16-oz jar marinara or spaghetti sauce
Instructions
- Cook the manicotti for 10 to 12 minutes until al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside to cool.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C)
- In a large bowl, combine ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, half of the Parmesan, eggs, parsley, salt, and pepper.
- Pour 1/2 of the spaghetti or marinara sauce in the sheet pan. Stuff each manicotti shell with at least 3 tbsp of the cheese mixture. Arrange the stuffed manicotti on the sauce then pour the remaining sauce over it. Sprinkle with the rest of the Parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly.
