Cheesy Stuffed Manicotti With Meat Sauce (Printable)
Tender manicotti filled with velvety cheese blend and baked in richly seasoned homemade meat sauce for an irresistibly comforting Italian classic.
# What You'll Need:
→ Meat Sauce
01 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
02 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
04 - 1 pound ground beef
05 - 1 (24 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
06 - 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
07 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
08 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
09 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
10 - 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
11 - 1 teaspoon sugar
12 - Salt and black pepper to taste
→ Cheese Filling
13 - 1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
14 - 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
15 - 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
16 - 1 large egg
17 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
18 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
19 - Salt and black pepper to taste
→ Assembly
20 - 12 manicotti shells
21 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
22 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
23 - Fresh basil or parsley for garnish
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray or a small amount of olive oil.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes until translucent. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute until fragrant.
03 - Add ground beef to the skillet. Cook until browned, breaking up with a wooden spoon. Drain excess fat from the pan.
04 - Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, dried basil, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, sugar, salt, and pepper. Simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally until slightly thickened.
05 - Cook manicotti shells in salted boiling water for 1-2 minutes less than package instructions. Drain and rinse gently with cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside on a clean towel.
06 - In a large mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, 3/4 cup Parmesan, egg, parsley, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Mix until smooth and fully incorporated.
07 - Transfer cheese mixture to a piping bag or zip-top bag with corner snipped off. Fill each manicotti shell with the cheese mixture, being careful not to overfill or split the pasta.
08 - Spread 1 cup of meat sauce evenly over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Arrange filled manicotti in a single layer over the sauce.
09 - Spoon remaining meat sauce evenly over the manicotti. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.
10 - Cover baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 25 minutes.
11 - Remove foil and continue baking for 10-15 minutes until cheese is bubbly and lightly golden brown.
12 - Let manicotti rest for 10 minutes before serving to allow filling to set. Garnish with fresh basil or parsley if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The homemade meat sauce simmers into something rich and deeply flavored that puts jarred sauces to absolute shame
- That nutmeg in the cheese filling is the unexpected twist that makes people pause and ask what is in this
02 -
- Overfilling the manicotti shells is the number one mistake people make, and they will burst open in the oven and create a mess
- Letting the dish rest for those full 10 minutes is absolutely crucial or the filling will ooze out when you cut into it
03 -
- Use a zip-top bag with the corner snipped off if you do not have a piping bag, it works just as well for filling the shells
- That pinch of nutmeg in the cheese filling is what makes this taste like restaurant manicotti, do not skip it