This cheese manicotti is a family favorite in my house! I add spinach to make this dish a bit healthier and my kids don’t even realize it’s in there!
I love pasta. It’s one of those meals that will please just about anyone and it’s usually easy to throw together!
One of my absolute favorites is manicotti. Manicotti are just big empty pasta tubes that you fill up with good stuff. Imagine the possibilities! I can think of a hundred delicious things to stuff inside of pasta!
Today we’re doing a four cheese manicotti and adding in some sauteed spinach. It adds a gorgeous color to the filling and tastes amazing here.
How to make this cheese manicotti recipe:
You’ll start by boiling your manicotti. Once cooked, drain the pasta water and let the manicotti cool a bit. You’ll be handling them and you don’t want to burn yourself.
While the manicotti cools a bit, prepare the filling.
Mix together your four cheeses and seasoning.
Saute the spinach in a little oil with some garlic and onion until the spinach is wilted.
Stir the spinach into the cheese and start stuffing your pasta.
You can use a spoon to scoop it into the tubes, but I find it easiest to add the filling to a plastic bag, snip off the end and squirt it in.
Layer the filled manicotti over some marinara sauce. You can use my recipe below for homemade marinara or you can purchase a jar. If using store bought, I always recommend Rao’s brand. It’s my favorite marinara, but it is a bit pricey.
You’ll top this off with more marinara and extra cheese.
This makes a great vegetarian meal, but if you want to bulk it up with some meat, use my homemade spaghetti sauce instead of the marinara.
This whole recipe is really quite easy to throw together and it has such a pretty presentation.
Who doesn’t love carbs stuffed with cheese?!
More pasta recipes to try:
Chicken Spaghetti Recipe: This one is a favorite with my kids!
Shrimp Alfredo: Tastes like a fancy dish you’d get from your favorite Italian restaurant!
Baked Ziti Recipe: The creamy white sauce takes this dish over the top!
Hamburger Helper: Skip the box – my homemade version is better!
Garlic Butter Noodles: Simple comfort food!
Four Cheese Spinach Manicotti
Ingredients
For the manicotti:
- 12 ounces manicotti
- 16 ounces Ricotta cheese
- 6 ounces Mozzarella cheese shredded
- 6 ounces Parmesan shredded
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup finely chopped fresh baby Spinach
- 2 tablespoons minced onion
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley minced
Basic Marinara Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion minced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Red pepper flakes
- 45 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons chopped basil
- 2 tablespoons chopped oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
For the manicotti:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add in the manicotti and cook for 7 minutes. Drain.
- Set aside the pasta to cool and begin making the filling.
- In a large bowl, mix together the Ricotta cheese, 3 ounces of Mozzarella, 3 ounces of Parmesan, cream cheese, Italian seasoning, and basil.
- Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the spinach, onion, and garlic and cook until the onion is translucent and the spinach has wilted, about 5 minutes.
- Add the spinach to the cheese mixture and stir well to combine.
- When the pasta is cool enough to handle, use a small spoon to scoop the filling into the pasta. Alternately, place the filling in a plastic bag and snip off the end. Squirt the filling into the manicotti.
- Cover the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish with a thin layer of marinara sauce. Arrange your pasta in the baking dish. Cover with the remaining marinara sauce and top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and starting to browned on top. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.
For the sauce:
- Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Add the remaining ingredients, stir to combine, and simmer for 30 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally.
- Store sauce tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Information:
This post was originally published in 2011. It’s been updated with new photos and text in 2019. Original photo below.
