Our Manicotti recipe is an easy pasta casserole featuring a 3 cheese filling and topped with delicious marinara sauce. It has all the melty cheesiness and amazing flavor that makes Italian food so irresistible, and it’s incredibly easy to make.
Just like with our Spaghetti and Meatballs or Baked Ziti, there’s something so satisfying about perfectly cooked pasta in a flavorful tomato marinara sauce. Manicotti is one of those timeless classics that you’ll make on repeat.
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What is Manicotti?
Stuffed Manicotti (Pronounced: ma·nuh·kaa·tee) is similar to a traditional Italian dish called Cannelloni. In the Americanized adaptation, Manicotti shells are stuffed with a cheese filling, topped with marinara sauce, and baked.
If you enjoy the classic flavors of Lasagna and Stuffed Shells, you will love this Italian-American Manicotti Recipe. It’s a quick and easy weeknight meal but also feels special enough for a holiday dinner.
This Manicotti is also the perfect recipe when making and delivering a meal to friends or neighbors after having a baby or when someone is under the weather. Cheesy Italian comfort food makes everyone feel loved. Here are some of the reasons you’ll love it:
- Easy to make
- Family-friendly recipe
- Make ahead and freezer-friendly
- Reheats well for leftovers
- Budget-friendly for feeding a big crowd
- Easy swaps and substitutions
Manicotti Recipe Video
Natasha shows you how simple it is to assemble and bake this cheese manicotti recipe. Be sure to see her tips on the easiest way to fill the pasta before baking.
Ingredients for Stuffed Manicotti
The ingredients for stuffed Manicotti feature Italian staples and three delicious cheeses. It’s a winning combination!
- Manicotti shells – the pasta tubes are perfect for filling and the ridges grab the sauce for the perfect bite. Substitute shells, if needed.
- Marinara sauce – use our homemade marinara sauce or store-bought sauce. You’ll need 3-4 cups
- Heavy cream – an optional ingredient used to balance the marinara sauce
- Ricotta cheese – use whole milk ricotta so the filling isn’t too watery
- Mozzarella cheese – shredded 8oz block, divided for filling and topping
- Parmesan cheese – 1 cup grated cheese, divided
- Parsley – fresh is best, but you can use 1 1/2 tsp of dried parsley in a pinch
- Garlic – grated or pressed will be easier to distribute evenly in the filling
- Salt and pepper – don’t forget to salt the pasta water—it adds so much flavor to the pasta!
- Nutmeg – just 1/4 tsp brings out amazing flavor in the ricotta cheese. Trust me on this one!
Pro Tip:
In this recipe, it’s best to grate your own cheese using a box grater or your food processor instead of using pre-shredded cheese. It will melt better and taste better!
Substitutions
This cheese manicotti recipe is delicious, but you can make it your own with a few quick substitutions. Here are some of our favorites:
- Add protein – use meat sauce instead of marinara
- Add veggies – add chopped fresh or frozen spinach (but be sure to squeeze out any liquid), finely chopped mushrooms, sautéed onions, or roasted red bell peppers to the filling
- Add heat – add red pepper flakes to the filling
- Swap cheeses – replace some of the ricotta with cottage cheese, or use pecorino Romano instead of parmesan in the cheese mixture or over the top
- Switch sauces – use Béchamel, Alfredo, or Bolognese sauce
How to Make the Best Manicotti
This dish looks complex and upscale—but I promise it’s so simple to make and comes together quickly in these easy steps:
- Boil salted water, add pasta and cook for about 5 minutes until barely tender. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix the heavy cream into the marinara sauce, then spread 1 cup of the sauce to cover the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.
- Mix the eggs, ricotta, half the mozzarella, half the parmesan, parsley, garlic, 3/4 tsp of salt, 1/4 tsp of pepper, and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl.
- Fill a piping bag or gallon zip-top bag with the mixture, snip off a 3/4″ corner then fill the pasta tubes, and lay them in a single layer into the baking dish.
- Cover the pasta with the remaining sauce, and then sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese on top. Bake covered with foil for 25 minutes, and then remove the foil and return to the oven for 10 more minutes. Garnish with parsley to serve.
Pro Tip:
Salting pasta water is so important for taste and texture! We use about 2 Tbsp of salt for a large pot of water, but since salt can differ, be sure your water tastes like ocean water.
Pro Tip:
When parboiling the manicotti shells, you want the pasta only slightly cooked since it will finish cooking in the oven. It should be ‘extra al-dente’ and cooked for less than the package instructions. We boiled for 5 minutes while the package called for 7 minutes. This will also make it easier to fill.
Common Questions
What to Serve with Manicotti
This Italian-inspired dish is so satisfying and delicious and pairs well with fresh salads, roasted veggies, and crusty bread to soak up the sauce. Here are a few of our favorite sides (and don’t forget dessert):
- Caesar Salad
- Garlic Bread
- Roasted Broccoli
- Cucumber and Tomato Salad
- Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts
- Tiramisu
Make-Ahead
Manicotti is a great dish to make ahead since it freezes well and feeds a crowd.
- Prep up to 8 hours ahead: assemble, cover with a layer of parchment and then foil, and refrigerate until ready to bake, and then add 15 minutes to the cooking time
- Freeze up to 3 months ahead: assemble, cover with a layer of parchment and then foil, store in the freezer, and then thaw overnight in the fridge and bake according to the recipe instructions. Bake from frozen by putting the dish in the oven at 400 for 1.5 to 2 hours covered, and then 10 minutes uncovered or until bubbly.
How to Store Leftover Manicotti
- To Refrigerate: leftovers keep covered in the fridge for 5 days
- Freezing: freeze leftovers in an airtight container for 3 months
- To Reheat: Thaw overnight in the fridge, and then heat at 350 in the oven until bubbly, or microwave individual servings covered with a paper towel in 30-second intervals until warmed through.
This baked stuffed Manicotti recipe has all the yummy Italian flavors and the cheesy, saucy goodness we love in an easy-to-master recipe. It’s a great weeknight meal, but impressive enough to serve at a holiday party. I know this will become one of your go-to dishes.
More Top-Rated Pasta Recipes
Once you try this stuffed pasta recipe, we know you’ll also love these other fan-favorite pasta dishes:
- Chicken and Mushroom Fettuccine
- Pierogi Recipe
- Chicken Tetrazzini
- Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
- Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
- Chicken Chow Mein
- Creamy Shrimp Pasta
PS. If you love pasta recipes, we have some new ones in our new Cookbook that haven’t been shared on the blog. Family favorites like Baked Mac and Cheese, Italian Style Lasagna, and my son’s Famous Alfredo sauce. You can order the Natasha’s Kitchen Cookbook here.
Manicotti Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 oz Manicotti Pasta, 14 ct
- 3 cups Marinara Sauce, homemade or store-bought
- 1/4 cup heavy cream, optional (tones down acidity of marinara)
- 2 large eggs
- 24 oz whole milk ricotta cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, 8oz block, divided
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, divided
- 1/4 cup parsley, plus more for garnish
- 2 garlic clove, grated or pressed
- 3/4 tsp fine sea salt, plus more for pasta cooking water
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil with about 2 Tbsp Salt – add enough salt for it to taste like ocean water. Add pasta and cook until barely tender and extra al dente. I cooked for exactly 5 minutes. Remember it will continue cooking in the oven. Stir the pasta initially to prevent sticking. Drain pasta and immediately rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process then drain well.
- Stir cream into your marinara then pour about 1 cup of this sauce into a 9×13 casserole dish and tilt the pan to spread around the bottom.
- In a large mixing bowl lightly beat 2 eggs then add ricotta, half of the mozzarella, half of the parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic, salt, tsp pepper, and nutmeg.
- Transfer the mixture to a piping bag with a large round tip or use a large zip bag and cut off a 3/4” corner for piping. Fill all of the manicotti pasta and arrange them in a single layer in the prepared casserole dish.
- Pour the remaining marinara over the top and top with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan. Cover with foil and bake covered for 25 minutes then uncover and bake another 10 minutes until cheese is melted and golden. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with more parsley and serve.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
Natasha, you have the very best websites I have seen in a long time. The recipes are easy to read, are orderly and organized. I appreciate that you include if they are freezable. I also appreciate the choice of allowing an image of the recipe. Thank you for such great recipes and such an easy website to follow.
This recipe sounds yummy!! Going to make it soon. (As soon as I can find the shells!) Can I add browned hamburger?
Hi Inge! I haven’t tried adding meat to the filling, but an excellent way to add meat would be to make a meat sauce marinara on top. Let us know if you experiment.
Looking to make this dish this week. Any recommendations if you want to prep ahead 12-16 hours ahead?
Hi Michael, please see the make-ahead section. I recommend 8 hours of prep ahead time but I think it would still work fine to prep ahead 12-16 hours.
My friend does not like onions I drained the onions for her she loved this recipe as much as I did
hello sweet Natasha, I am making this for a party tomorrow. I have all the shells stuffed and In the pan. I have a question, if I pour the sauce and cheese over today will it ruin the manicotti if I bake it tomorrow? Sandy
Hi Sandy, it would work great. See the “Make Ahead” section in the post for all of our make ahead tips.
The recipe is great. ThankYou so much. I think you got a great sense of humor.
Thank you for that wonderful compliment, Steve!
Your recipes are the best Miss Natasha! Whenever I want to try something new, I come here first because I know your recipes will not disappoint. This one was absolutely delicious! Thank you so much for all that you do.
Thank you so much, Nick!
Would you use fresh basil chopped up in cheese filling if you had it available?
Hi Julie! Basil would be a great addition.
I hope you love the recipe!
When looking up a new recipe I always look to see if you have one first.
I’M trying it tomorrow. Let you know how it comes out, going to make your marinara sauce too!!😍
I hope you love it! I can’t wait for your feedback!
Natasha, I made your manicotti recipe. It was delicious. I did put my own spin on it as it calls for boiled, al dente shells and my shell were “oven ready”. Had enough filling for 24shells. Baked at 350° for 40 mins covered and then 10 mins more uncovered. was yummy. Will freeze half of them. Hope they freeze well and reheat well.
Thank you for the recipe.
Hi Diana! You’re welcome. Thank you for sharing that with us.
OMG!! Love thos recipe. And so easy. Made with homemade sauce. Was a hit! Thank you!
So glad you love it!
I often use full fat cottage cheese in my lasagna recipe. How do you think it might work here? It’s certainly less expensive than ricotta.
Hi Valerie! We’ve tested replacing some of the ricotta with cottage cheese but not eliminating the ricotta completely. Let us know how it is if you experiment.
We had no leftovers with this Manicotti recipe! It is super rich and scrumptious. The filling is a winner!
That’s wonderful, Sha!
On your web site you make too confusing to find and watch video I even find it to make manicotti shells🙄
Hi Vickie! It’s posted right under the header that says “Manicotti Recipe Video.”
Your video is in English but your closed captions are in Arabic. Can you please make your closed captioning available in English to those who cannot read Arabic?
Hi DB, The closed captioning default is usually determined by your device/ account settings, but you can definitely change the closed captioning to your desired language. On the bottom left of the video, click the gear icon on, Click Subtitles/CC, Select your desired language from the 5 options. I hope this helps.
Tried your Cowboy Caviar Salsa!
It was so delicious that I am going to make it as an appetizer on Christmas Eve night. It also was easy to make.
So glad you loved it!
Jack & I love this recipe, it was so easy to make and awesome to eat, Thank You Jack & Polly
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the feedback!
AWESOME!!
I love new recipes!
I had previously tried to make my own manicotti with your lasagna recipe so I’m curious how this will turn out
Let us know how you like the recipe!
sounds delicious. I will make soon. As I mentioned in my comments before, my screen keeps rolling down to the bottom of the recipes. Can you fix this? I use Safari & it’s very frustrating. Not going to change my URL. Love your recipes but if you can’t fix this, I will have to delete your site. Would you please respond to me? thanks. Maryann
Have you tried using Google Chrome? I haven’t had that experience before though using safari. You can try closing some of the pop up windows when you are viewing the website.
I use Safari on my Iphone and it didn’t do that. It will move once in a while when an ad changes, but doesn’t go to the bottom of recipe, just moves a bit. Hope that helps