As you know I make at least one or two meatless recipes a week at my house. Last week I made Baked Manicotti. It;s a spinach and cheese filled pasta tube.
It’s quite simple to make and can be made in advance. I made mine in the morning then popped it in the fridge while I ran a few errands then threw in in the oven 20 minutes before dinnertime.
This dish is inexpensive, quick, and really yummy. I served it with a tossed green salad and a slice of toasted garlic bread.
Ingredients:
1 box Manicotti pasta
1 lb. bag of frozen chopped spinach – thawed
2 tbls. garlic powder
1 can or jar of pasta sauce (24 oz.)
15 oz. Ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
Directions:
1. Prepare Manicotti tubes as directed. Drain and set aside.
2. Squeeze as much water as you can from the thawed spinach and place in a mixing bowl.
3. Add garlic powder and stir well.
4. Add ricotta cheese and 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Stir to evenly distribute.
5. Add 1/4 of pasta sauce to spinach and cheese mixture. Stir well.
6. Divide spinach mixture equally between the pasta tubes and gently stuff each tube with the mixture.
There’s really no neat way to do this. I tried using a small spoon, but it went too slowly or tore the pasta tube. So far I’ve found the easiest, but not the neatest way to stuff the tubes is with bare fingers.
A bit messy, but it works!.
7. Place stuffed pasta into an oven safe baking pan.
8. Pour remaining pasta sauce over all.
9. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella cheese over sauce.
10. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until cheese melts.
If you are making it in advance, cover the pan with foil or plastic wrap and place it into the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake it. Baking time will be a bit longer, another 10 minutes or so or until the filling is warm and the cheese melted.
Serve with salad and hot garlic bread, Bon Apetito!
Prepare Manicotti tubes as directed. Drain and set aside.
Squeeze as much water as you can from the thawed spinach and place in a mixing bowl.
Add garlic powder and stir well.
Add ricotta cheese and 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Stir to evenly distribute.
Add 1/4 of pasta sauce to spinach and cheese mixture. Stir well.
Divide spinach mixture equally between the pasta tubes and gently stuff each tube with the mixture.
There's really no neat way to do this. I tried using a small spoon, but it went too slowly or tore the pasta tube. So far I've found the easiest, but not the neatest way to stuff the tubes is with bare fingers.
A bit messy, but it works!.
Place stuffed pasta into an oven safe baking pan.
Pour remaining pasta sauce over all.
Sprinkle remaining mozzarella cheese over sauce.
Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until cheese melts.
If you are making it in advance, cover the pan with foil or plastic wrap and place it into the refrigerator until you're ready to bake it. Baking time will be a bit longer, another 10 minutes or so or until the filling is warm and the cheese melted.
Serve with salad and hot garlic bread, Bon Apetito!
Last week I decided to try out my spinach & cheese filling on Jumbo pasta shells. It’s basically the same recipe I use for my Yummy Spinach & Cheese Pasta Rolls, but I used Ricotta Cheese instead of cottage cheese.
The stuffed shells go great with garlic bread or garlic knots.
Ingredients:
10 Jumbo Pasta Shells
10 oz. frozen chopped spinach – thawed
1 cup Ricotta Cheese
1 1/2 cups Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 cup shredded fresh Parmesan Cheese
1 tbls. garlic powder
1 tsp. crushed red peppers
1/2 bottle of Pasta Sauce any flavor
Directions:
Cook Pasta Shells according to the box directions. Drain and place on clean surface.
Drain thawed spinach – squeeze as much as the water out
Add Ricotta Cheese, 1 cup Mozzarella Cheese, Parmesan Cheese, Garlic Powder and Crushed pepper to spinach. Mix well.
Separate spinach mixture into 10 equal portions.
Carefully spoon each portion into each shell
Place stuffed shells into an oven proof baking dish
Pour Pasta Sauce over shells; sprinkle with remaining Mozzarella Cheese
Bake in 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted. Don’t over cook the shell edges will become hard.
If you’re looking for something easy to make for dinner this is the dish for you. It’s yummy, filling, and most importantly so easy to make. You can prepare it in advance, store in the fridge until you’re ready to bake it. In thirty minutes you’ll have a delicious meal on your table.
I usually serve it with a basket of my fresh hot garlic knots. The family loves it!
Beefy Stuffed Pasta Shells
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 can Rotel – hot or mild
1 jar Ragu – any flavor
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1 tbls. minced garlic
1 tbls. olive oil
1 cup ricotta cheese
16 large pasta shells
Directions:
1. Prepare pasta shells according to directions
2. Heat olive oil in a pan.
3. Saute garlic in pan.
4. Add ground beef. Cook until done, meat should be crumbly.
5. Add Rotel. Mix well.
6. Remove from heat and stir in ricotta cheese.
7. Divide meat mixture evenly between the cooked pasta shells. Stuff them into the shells gently with a spoon.
8. Place stuffed shells onto a 9×12 baking pan or casserole.
9. Pour Ragu sauce over all the shells.
10. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese evenly over the sauce.
11. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until the cheese has melted and starts to brown.
If making this dish in advance put everything except the mozzarella cheese into the casserole, cover and store in the fridge. Sprinkle the cheese just before you bake it. Refrigerated shells will take about 10-15 minutes longer to bake.
Store leftover shells in a tightly sealed container in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave.
Add ground beef. Cook until done, meat should be crumbly.
Add Rotel. Mix well.
Remove from heat and stir in ricotta cheese.
Divide meat mixture evenly between the cooked pasta shells. Stuff them into the shells gently with a spoon.
Place stuffed shells onto a 9x12 baking pan or casserole.
Pour Ragu sauce over all the shells.
Sprinkle mozzarella cheese evenly over the sauce.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until the cheese has melted and starts to brown.
If making this dish in advance put everything except the mozzarella cheese into the casserole, cover and store in the fridge. Sprinkle the cheese just before you bake it. Refrigerated shells will take about 10-15 minutes longer to bake.
Store leftover shells in a tightly sealed container in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave.
