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Baked Manicotti

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The secret to getting this Sunday night dinner worthy baked manicotti on the table in just over an hour? Don’t boil the manicotti noodles before filling them! That’s right friends! You can prep this cheesy vegetarian dish in just 10 minutes!!

Two plates filled with baked three cheese manicotti garnished with fresh parsley

Why you’re going to love this recipe:

  • It’s easy to make. No fancy kitchen gadgets or years of experience in the kitchen needed. This dish is simple and easy to prepare.
  • The flavors are amazing. Have you added smoked cheese to a pasta dish before? It’s pretty much the best thing ever and my favorite way to add meaty flavor to a vegetarian dish.
  • It takes less than hour from start to finish. The best part about this dish is that it screams Sunday night dinner but it’s only got 9 ingredients and takes little more than an hour to prepare.
Overhead shot of a pan of freshly baked manicotti with a serving spoon

How to make this recipe:

It takes just 9 simple ingredients to get this easy dinner on the table!

Overhead shot of ingredients needed for baked manicotti

Add chopped spinach, ricotta, smoked mozzarella, parsley, egg yolk, garlic, a large pinch of pepper and a couple large pinches of salt to a large bowl.

Large white bowl filled with ingredients to fill baked manicotti

Mix to combine.

Large white bowl filled with ingredients to fill baked manicotti

Transfer to a piping bag (a gallon Ziploc baggy works well too).

Two hands spooning manicotti filling into a ziploc baggy

Cut the tip off your piping bag about the width of the manicotti noodles.

Cutting the end off of a piping bag filled with manicotti filling

Pipe the filling into one end of the noodle, then flip the noodle and fill the other side.

Overhead shot of manicotti filling being piped into manicotti noodles

Nestle filled manicotti into the baking dish.

Filled manicotti noodles in a 9x13 pan filled with sauce

Then pour the remaining sauce in an even layer on top of the noodles.

A hand pouring spaghetti sauce over a pan of filled manicotti noodles

Tear fresh mozzarella into bite size chunks and sprinkle in an even layer over top of the noodles.

Two hands breaking up fresh mozzarella and placing it on top of manicotti

Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake for 50-55 minutes, or until noodles are al dente.

A 9x13 pan of manicotti covered with tin foil

Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and enjoy!

A white 9x13 pan of freshly baked manicotti being garnished with chopped fresh parsley

Tips for making this recipe:

  • Take the extra 2 minutes to mince your own garlic. This is true for any recipe that calls for garlic. Always use fresh cloves of garlic that you have minced yourself. The jarred option might seem like a time-saver, but you will definitely be able to taste a difference!
  • Don’t overstuff the noodles. There is literally just enough filling to fill all 12 of the noodles. If you overstuff them, chances are good you won’t have enough filling to fill all of them.
  • Don’t worry if it looks like too much sauce. It will look like a lot of sauce at first, but trust me it’s not! The moisture from the sauce is what’s going to cook the noodles so the baked manicotti needs to be real saucy in the beginning. After almost an hour in the oven, a lot of the sauce will be absorbed into the pasta.
Two plates filled with baked three cheese manicotti

Other easy pasta dishes you’ll love:

A black and white plate of manicotti with a bite taken out of it
Print

Three Cheese Baked Manicotti

★★★★★

5 from 10 reviews

The secret to getting this Sunday night dinner worthy baked manicotti on the table in just over an hour? Don’t boil the manicotti noodles before filling them! That’s right friends! You can prep this cheesy vegetarian dish in just 10 minutes!! 

  • Author: Kylie Lato
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 50 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 8–10 servings 1x
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Stovetop/Oven
  • Cuisine: Italian
Scale

Ingredients

  • 4 cups of my Secret Family Recipe Spaghetti Sauce (or your favorite brand)
  • 8 oz. uncooked manicotti noodles
  • 2 cups fresh spinach (or arugula), chopped
  • 16 oz. whole milk ricotta cheese
  • 8 oz. smoked mozzarella, shredded
  • 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley + more for garnish
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 8 oz. fresh mozzarella
  • Kosher salt
  • fresh cracked pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine chopped spinach, ricotta, smoked mozzarella, parsley, egg yolk, garlic, a large pinch of pepper and a couple large pinches of salt.
  2. Transfer to a piping bag (a gallon Ziploc baggy works well too).
  3. Spread 1 cup of spaghetti sauce evenly in the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish.
  4. Cut the tip off your piping bag about the width of the manicotti noodles. You’ll want a large opening so you can easily pipe the filling into the noodles. No need to cook them before you bake. They will do their magic in the oven and hold together much better.
  5. Pipe the filling into one end of the noodle, then flip the noodle and fill the other side. This technique will ensure that the entire inside of the noodle is filled.
  6. Nestle filled manicotti into the baking dish. Then pour remaining sauce in an even layer on top of the noodles.
  7. Tear fresh mozzarella into bite size chunks and sprinkle in an even layer over top of the noodles.
  8. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake for 50-55 minutes, or until noodles are al dente.
  9. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and enjoy!

Notes

Take the extra 2 minutes to mince your own garlic. This is true for any recipe that calls for garlic. Always use fresh cloves of garlic that you have minced yourself. The jarred option might seem like a time saver, but you will definitely be able to taste a difference!

Don’t over stuff the noodles. There is literally just enough filling to fill all 12 of the noodles. If you over stuff them, chances are good you won’t have enough filling to fill all of them.

Don’t worry if it looks like too much sauce. It will look like a lot of sauce at first, but trust me it’s not! The moisture from the sauce is what’s going to cook the noodles so the dish needs to be real saucy in the beginning. After almost an hour in the oven a lot of the sauce will be absorbed into the pasta.

Keywords: canelloni, baked manicotti, cheese manicotti, vegetarian baked pasta, baked pasta, no boil noodles

Did you make this recipe?

This recipe was originally shared in May 2018. It has been updated to include process shots, tips for making the dish perfectly and an improved recipe in February 2019.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. Linda

    I love manicotti but never knew that the noodles did not need to be cooked ahead of time. What a great meal to get on the dinner table quickly and easily.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    • Midwest Foodie

      Yes!! Between my one pot pastas and no boil noodle dishes, I rarely boil pasta these day! There’s no time 😉 Thanks Linda!

      Reply

  9. lauren

    What a great tip to fill a pastry bag with the spinach and cheese! Makes filling the manicotti so much easier and less messy. This is going to make a great dinner this week.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

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