Secret Ingredient, Four-Cheese Manicotti (that's Meatless!)

This four-cheese manicotti can be on the table in less than an hour! It's an easy (and vegetarian) weeknight dinner that strikes the perfect balance between cheesy and saucy. Recipe: https://sugarspunrun.com/manicotti/ Ingredients 8 oz manicotti shells (226g) 24 oz whole milk ricotta (about 3 cups) (680g) 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (113g) (note that you will need another cup of cheese for the topping) 4 oz cream cheese, softened (113g) ½ cup grated parmesan cheese (30g) 1 large egg 2 garlic cloves, pressed 3 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley, plus additional for topping if desired (may substitute 1 Tablespoon dried parsley) 1 teaspoon dried basil ½ teaspoon dried oregano ½ teaspoon table salt ½ teaspoon ground black pepper For Baking 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (113g) 2 cups marinara sauce, homemade or store-bought (525g/500ml) Additional fresh parsley or parmesan for garnish, optional Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases from the links below. 13x9 glass or ceramic baking dish (Affiliate Link): https://amzn.to/3vr4iVg Mixing bowls (Affiliate Link): https://amzn.to/2C47vQx Piping bag (Affiliate Link): https://amzn.to/2JAPSvk Instructions 00:00 Introduction 00:24 Preheat oven to 375F (190C). You will need a 13x9 casserole dish or similar sized dish for this recipe. 00:30 Cook pasta according to package instructions in well-salted water except reduce cooking time by 1 minutes (I cook my manicotti shells for 6 minutes). Immediately drain and rinse well under cold water to stop the cooking process. 01:40 In a large mixing bowl, combine ricotta, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, cream cheese, parmesan, egg, pressed garlic, parsley, basil, oregano, salt and pepper and stir until thoroughly combined. 06:01 Transfer the filling to a large piping bag (this is ideal, but if you don’t have one a large ziploc bag with a small corner snipped or even a spoon will do the job). 07:04 Layer 1 cup of marinara sauce into the bottom of a 13x9 casserole dish. 07:30 Snip a hole in the end of the piping bag and pipe filling evenly into each manicotti. 08:12 Arrange manicotti in baking dish and cover with another cup of marinara sauce. 09:25 Top with mozzarella cheese. Lightly grease a piece of aluminum foil with butter or oil and cover the dish (greased side down!). 09:58 Transfer to center rack of 375F (190C) preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes, then carefully remove foil and continue to bake until cheese is melty and mixture is bubbly (about 10 minutes longer). 10:12 Remove from oven and serve warm, topped with fresh parsley or parmesan cheese, if desired. Notes Spinach Spinach is a nice addition and a good way to add some veggies to this dish. To add, reduce the ricotta to 15 oz. Thaw and dry well 10 oz of frozen spinach and stir this into the filling. Meat You can cook 1 lb of ground beef or sausage, drain well and cool slightly and then stir this into the cheese mixture for a meat manicotti, just know you will likely have leftover filling Storing Store tightly covered or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or place in oven safe dish, cover with foil and heat in 350F (175C) oven and bake until warmed through (time depends on how much you are reheating, typically 10-20 minutes). Freezing Manicotti freezes well, and you can freeze before or after baking for up to 3 months. Cover tightly (I cover with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil) and freeze. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then follow baking instructions in the recipe (may take longer since it is baked from cold or if manicotti is not completely thawed, but check at 30 minutes). TIP: Adding a bit of extra marinara helps keep reheated manicotti from drying out! Facebook:   / sugarspunrun   Instagram:   / sugarspun_sam   Pinterest:   / sugarspunrun   Email List: https://sugarspunrun.com/subscribe/