Cheese Stuffed Manicotti

Three Cheese Stuffed Baked Manicotti are filled with ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, and fresh roasted garlic and topped with your favorite marinara sauce. It is a classic Italian dish and a tried and true family favorite. 

We are a crazy pasta-loving family. I mean, honestly, who isn’t? Pasta dishes are so versatile and economical, and you can throw a hearty memorable meal together pretty quickly.   In a hurry? No problem! Because you can roast the garlic several days in advance and store it in the fridge. Roasted garlic is simply amazing and ends up sweet and mellow. Mix the cheese stuffing for the manicotti up to 24 hours in advance. One thing for sure is that life happens, and somehow, you have to make it all come together. For ease, serve with a simple soup, roasted vegetables like asparagus or broccoli, salad, or French banquettes with soft butter.

What is Manicotti

Manicotti is the Italian word for little sleeves. Manicotti is both the shape of a pasta and an Italian dish where these “little sleeves” are stuffed with a ricotta cheese mixture and sometimes sausage, then smothered in marinara and more cheese and baked. The result is a delicious baked Italian pasta dish that everyone loves.

How do you prepare Roasted Garlic?

Remove any excess skin layers from the garlic bulb and discard them. This could be anywhere from two layers to five or more. Using a sharp knife, cut off the tip on the non-root end. Drizzle or rub with olive oil. Likewise, you could use a basting brush to coat the top with a bit of olive oil. Then, wrap it tightly in aluminum foil and pop it in the oven. Finally, roast for about 35-40 minutes.

How to Make Manicotti

Cut off the garlic bulb’s tip (not the root end), exposing the cloves. Place it in a small piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle with olive oil using your fingers to rub the olive oil all over the cut. Wrap up the sides of the aluminum foil to make a tent and place it on a baking sheet. Bake for 35 minutes.

Then, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the manicotti al dente according to package instructions. Mix the ricotta, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, and at least six cloves of roasted garlic in a medium bowl. Season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper.

In an 8 x 11-inch baking dish, spread 1 cup of marinara sauce. Using a piping bag, stuff each manicotti with the cheese mixture. You can stuff half of the manicotti, turn with the palm of your hand, and stuff the other side. Place it in the dish in a single layer and repeat until all the noodles are filled.

Top with the remaining marinara and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella. Cover and bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the casserole is bubbly. Sprinkle with fresh parsley or fresh basil.

Stuffed Manicotti Recipe Tips

• For optimal taste, please don’t skip the roasted garlic step, as it adds amazing flavor and dimension.
• If you press on the stem end of the baked garlic clove, it will easily squeeze out. Do it right over the cheese mixture. Then, use a fork to mix it and easily break up the roasted garlic.
• Use freshly grated Parmesan. It is a little more costly, but it is well worth every red cent.
• I use a marinara from Costco that I love, but if you have the time to make marinara from scratch, that would probably take this recipe over the top.
• Cook the noodles slightly al dente as they are going to be stuffed with cheese, covered with sauce, and baked.
• To stuff, use a piping bag, fill half of the manicotti noodle, then turn it and fill the other side.
• Likewise, you can stuff the shells by placing the cheese/garlic/egg mixture in a large zipper bag, cutting off one bottom corner (not too big), and piping the cheese mixture into the manicotti noodles.
• For a change of pace, try adding sauteed mushrooms or spinach to the cheese mixture.
• This recipe also works well with jumbo pasta shells.
• For more protein, consider adding browned ground beef, ground turkey, or Italian sausage.
• This dish can be fully prepped up to two days in advance. However, cook the noodles al dente and remove the dish from the refrigerator about 40 minutes in advance of cooking to let it come to room temperature.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. For best results, reheat in the microwave.

Other pasta recipes you will love!

Lemon Pasta

Italian Sausage Pasta

Taco Pasta

Pasta Pomodoro

Penne alla Vodka

Parmesan Pasta

Cheese Manicotti Recipe

A super easy and fun three kinds of cheese and garlic stuffed manicotti that can prepped up to two days in advance for busy families.

5 from 51 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: main meal pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 manicotti noodles

Calories: 349kcal

Author: Beth Pierce

Ingredients

• 1 small garlic bulb
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 8 manicotti noodles
• 15 ounces ricotta cheese
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2/3 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 3 cups marinara or tomato sauce
• Chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut off the tip (not the root end) of a garlic bulb, exposing the cloves. Place it in a small piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle with olive oil using your fingers to rub the olive oil all over the cut. Wrap up the sides of the aluminum foil to make a tent and place it on a baking sheet. Bake for 35 minutes.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the manicotti al dente according to package instructions. 
• In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, and at least six cloves of the roasted garlic (please see notes). Season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper.
• In an 8 x 11-inch casserole dish, spread 1 cup of marinara sauce. Using a piping bag, stuff each manicotti with the cheese mixture. Place it in the dish in a single layer and repeat until all the noodles are filled.
• Top with the remaining marinara and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the casserole is bubbly. Sprinkle with fresh parsley. 

Notes

• For optimal taste, please don't skip the roasted garlic step, as it adds amazing flavor and dimension.
• If you press on the stem end of the baked garlic clove, it will easily squeeze out. Do it right over the cheese mixture. Then, use a fork to mix it and easily break up the roasted garlic.
• Use freshly grated Parmesan. It is a little more costly, but it is well worth every red cent.
• I use a marinara from Costco that I love, but if you have the time to make marinara from scratch, that would probably take this recipe over the top.
• Cook the noodles slightly al dente as they are going to be stuffed with cheese, covered with sauce, and baked.
• To stuff, use a piping bag, fill half of the manicotti noodle, then turn it and fill the other side.
• Likewise, you can stuff the shells by placing the cheese/garlic/egg mixture in a large zipper bag, cutting off one bottom corner (not too big), and piping the cheese mixture into the manicotti noodles.
• For a change of pace, try adding sauteed mushrooms or spinach to the cheese mixture.
• This recipe also works well with jumbo pasta shells.
• For more protein, consider adding browned ground beef, ground turkey, or Italian sausage.
• This dish can be fully prepped up to two days in advance. However, cook the noodles al dente and remove the dish from the refrigerator about 40 minutes in advance of cooking to let it come to room temperature.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. For best results, reheat in the microwave.

Nutrition

Calories: 349kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 1031mg | Potassium: 430mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1035IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 461mg | Iron: 2mg

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