Italian Sausage Manicotti is a casserole style Italian dinner. Manicotti noodles are stuffed with a rich three cheese spinach filling, topped with an Italian sausage marinara and shredded mozzarella cheese.
This pasta recipe looks complicated, but it's easily assembled in no time at all.
Add a loaf of garlic bread or a simple salad and you'll have a delicious meal the entire family will love.
WHAT IS MANICOTTI
Manicotti is a large tubular shaped pasta, usually ribbed, that is intended to be stuffed and baked. The name literally means "little sleeve" in Italian. This recipe could also be made with jumbo pasta shells.
WHY THIS DISH IS AMAZING
- If you love lasagna, you will love manicotti! Stuffed Manicotti and lasagna have everything in common but the type pasta.
- Manicotti can be made ahead and stored in the fridge to be cooked later. It also rewarms IF there are any leftovers!
- Give this great family meal to friends and family in need. Make the pasta in foil pans for easy drop off and clean up.
- Three cheese stuffed shells! Need I say more?
Several varieties of fresh Italian Sausage are generally available at the supermarket including hot Italian sausage and sweet Italian sausage. If you purchase sausage with casings, be sure to remove them before browning the sausage.
Also, if you love Italian dishes, be sure to check out my Italian Chicken Meatballs!
INGREDIENT TIPS
I use Ricotta Cheese in this pasta recipe, but you can substitute cottage cheese if you prefer.
Have you seen Whipped Cream Cheese at your grocery store? It makes incorporating the cheeses together so much easier.
Mozzarella Cheese is best when shredded from a block, but if you are short on time feel free to use pre-shredded cheese.
STEP BY STEP DIRECTIONS FOR SAUSAGE MANICOTTI RECIPE
Cook manicotti pasta shells for two minutes less than the package directions. Having the pasta just under al dente will make it easier to fill the shells without ripping them. Rinse pasta with cool water then drain manicotti.
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
In a small skillet, brown 1 lb of Italian Sausage over medium heat. Add a jar of store-bought marinara sauce or if you have a little extra time try my homemade Classic Marinara. Simmer on low heat for approximately 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a large skillet, wilt 5.5 ounces of baby spinach (about 5 cups). Move spinach around with tongs continuously until all the spinach is wilted. This should only take a few minutes. It's important to start with a large skillet because the spinach will seem overwhelming when first added to the skillet and the large cooking surface will help to make this process quick.
To make the filling, add 1 cup ricotta cheese, ½ cup whipped cream cheese, ½ cup Parmesan cheese, ¼ tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, 2 tsp Italian seasoning, 1 egg, and the wilted spinach to a small bowl and mix until the ingredients are incorporated.
To a piping bag add the cheese mixture (don't over fill the pastry bag). Fill each cooked manicotti shell with the filling.
In a rectangular 9 in baking dish add 1 cup of the sausage mixture to the bottom of the pan. Next, arrange the filled manicotti shells in a single layer. You'll then add the remainder of the sausage mixture to the top of the manicotti and for the final step sprinkle 1 cup of mozzarella cheese over the top of the entire dish. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove foil and bake an additional 5 minutes until the cheese begins to brown. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
SUBSTITUTIONS
- Ground beef can be substituted for the Italian Sausage. Add ¼ - ½ tsp crushed red pepper to add some heat to the recipe.
- Make the recipe more "kid friendly" by omitting the spinach.
- If you make homemade marinara sauce you will need three cups for this Sausage Manicotti.
- Substitute a10 oz box of frozen spinach for the fresh but be sure to squeeze out as much water as possible using paper towels.
- Adding fresh basil or fresh parsley from the garden is a great addition to the pasta dish.
MORE PASTA DISHES
If you're like me and love pasta try some of my favorites:
