Baked Manicotti with Spinach and Cheese

Baked Manicotti is the epitome of Italian comfort cuisine. This comforting dish uses tube-shaped pasta and is stuffed with our delicious spinach and cheese filling, topped in a light marinara sauce and a blanket of melted cheese and baked until perfect.

I’d like to start this recipe on a personal note. I, like many of you, am feeling the impact of the economy lately. I think I’ve said, “how much?” more than ever lately. And while I watch certain recipes ebb and flow over the years, there’s one that stands head and shoulders above the rest – our beloved Baked Ziti!

And there’s a reason for that…

Why comfort food will always stand the test of time:

• It’s budget-friendly, using basic ingredients that won’t break the bank.
• Then, there’s the nostalgia factor. These meals take us back to simpler times, to family gatherings and cherished memories that we want to pass on to our own kids. They’re usually quite easy to prepare, making them perfect for those days when you want something tasty without a lot of fuss.
• Plus, they’re filling and hearty, which is especially important when you’re trying to feed a family on a tight budget.
• And don’t forget that it’s adaptable; you can often tweak these recipes to fit different tastes or dietary needs.

I love our baked ziti recipe. I’ve had it for as long as I can remember and I make it often and according to the feedback, you do too. So I wanted to make another simple, comforting, budget-friendly dinner.

But a common question I often hear is, ‘Whats the difference between baked ziti and manicotti?'”

The Difference Between Manicotti and Baked Ziti

Manicotti and Baked Ziti are both Italian-American pasta dishes, but they differ in several key ways:

• Manicotti uses large, ridged pasta tubes that are stuffed with a ricotta-based filling, often with spinach, and it’s typically served with a lighter marinara sauce.
• Baked Ziti, on the other hand, uses short, tubular ziti pasta mixed with a heavier tomato sauce (sometimes with ground meat) without any filling. The ziti is coated in the sauce and cheese and then baked until bubbly.

So, while both dishes are comfort food classics, manicotti focuses on stuffed pasta and a creamy filling, while baked ziti emphasizes the combination of pasta, meaty tomato sauce, and cheese.

TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST MANICOTTI:

Making baked manicotti with cheese and spinach is pretty straight forward. The full recipe card with instructions is below. But I just wanted to add some additional tips for making this recipe:

1. Cooking Pasta Al Dente: When boiling the manicotti pasta, aim to cook it until it’s “al dente,” which means it should be tender but still have a slight firmness when bitten.
2. Salt the Water: Many people don’t realize how important salted water is to pasta dishes. As Anne Burrell says “salt it like the ocean”.
3. Filling the Manicotti: Filling the manicotti tubes can be a bit delicate. To make it easier, you can use a zip-loc bag with a corner cut off to neatly fill the tubes. Once more, it’s important to not overcook the pasta. You still want a little bit of rigidness to them.
4. Thoroughly Drain Spinach: Excess moisture can make the filling too wet and affect the dish’s overall texture.
5. Line with Sauce: By spreading the sauce both beneath the manicotti and on top of them, you generate steam during the cooking process, keeping the pasta moist.
6. Rest Before Serving: Let the baked manicotti rest for a few minutes after removing it from the oven. This makes it easier to serve without the filling spilling out.
7. Make It Ahead: You can prepare the dish in advance and refrigerate it before baking.

Common Questions When Making Baked Manicotti:

1. How Do I Prevent Manicotti from Sticking Together? Some people wonder how to keep the manicotti tubes from sticking together while they’re cooking. A drizzle of oil in the boiling water can help prevent sticking.
2. Can I Use Fresh Pasta Tubes? Fresh manicotti tubes are an option, but they might require different cooking times compared to dried ones. Follow the package instructions or keep a close eye on them while cooking.
3. Can I Freeze Stuffed Manicotti? People often ask if they can freeze uncooked or cooked stuffed manicotti. Both are possible, but freezing uncooked manicotti requires careful packaging to prevent freezer burn.
4. What’s the Best Method for Stuffing Manicotti Tubes? Using a piping bag or a plastic storage bag with a corner cut off can make the process MUCH easier.
5. Can I Make Manicotti Ahead of Time? Yes, you can prepare stuffed manicotti ahead of time and refrigerate them until ready to bake. Adjust the baking time if you’re starting with chilled manicotti.

BAKED MANICOTTI WITH CHEESE AND SPINACH
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