Baked Ricotta Beef Manicotti
Cheesy beef stuffed manicotti baked in marinara sauce. This no-boil, easy-prep, family-friendly pasta bake cures all the comfort food cravings.
Print
Pin
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound 90% lean ground beef
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 cup part skim ricotta cheese
- 2 cups shredded provolone cheese divided
- ¼ cup chopped parsley plus 1 tablespoon for garnish
- 1 (8-ounce) box manicotti shells
- 32 ounces marinara sauce divided
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the beef, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, and ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Brown the beef, breaking it apart as it cooks.
- Add 1 cup chopped onion and 2 tablespoons minced garlic. Stir and cook them with the beef for five minutes or until most of the moisture in the pan has cooked off. Take the pan off the heat.
- Stir in 1 cup ricotta cheese. Once it’s mixed in with the beef, stir in 1 cup shredded provolone cheese and ¼ cup chopped parsley.
- Spread 1 cup of sauce in a 9x13” baking pan. Use a small spoon to spoon the beef and cheese filling into each manicotti. Place the manicotti on the sauce in the pan.
- Pour the rest of the sauce over the manicotti. Spread it into an even layer so all the manicotti are covered. Sprinkle 1 cup of provolone cheese and 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese over the sauce.
- Cover the pan with foil and bake the manicotti for 50 minutes. Take the foil off and bake the manicotti it for 10 minutes uncovered. Rest the pasta for a few minutes before serving it.
- Garnish the baked pasta with parsley for serving.
Notes
You also don’t need to boil the manicotti first - once the shells are stuffed, they’ll soften and cook right in the sauce.
You can substitute the ground beef with ground turkey or ground chicken for a lighter option. Provolone is my favorite cheese for this recipe because it has a nutty, buttery flavor, but shredded mozzarella works well, too.
This recipe is easy to make ahead. Assemble the manicotti earlier in the day and refrigerate it until you’re ready to bake. If you’re baking it straight from the fridge, add an extra five to ten minutes to the covered baking time.
50 minutes is plenty of time, but if you’re not sure whether the pasta is fully cooked, insert a knife into one of the manicotti shells. If it slides in easily, it’s done.
Leftovers hold up well and will keep in the refrigerator for several days, and you can freeze them for up to a month.
Leftover manicotti will keep in the refrigerator for several days. You can freeze the leftovers for up to a month, too.
Nutrition Estimate
Calories: 572kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 1438mg | Potassium: 965mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1436IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 531mg | Iron: 4mg
Sign up here to get recipes delivered to your email!