spinach stuffed manicotti shells by rose

Sauk Village, IL
Updated on Jan 22, 2012

I compromised in making this recipe, My husband loves meat, and I love spinach, so to please us both I added both to the original recipe. He got what he wanted,and I got what I wanted. He loved the recipe, and so did I, and the next door neighbor. I added a salad and some homemade garlic bread, and it was great. There is lots of lean ground beef in this version to please my husband. This picture is just before going into the oven.

prep time 25 Min
cook time 1 Hr 15 Min
method Bake
yield 8 - 10

Ingredients

  • 1 package manicotti or shell pasta
  • 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef, i use twice that in my recipe
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon basil
  • 1/4 -1/2 teaspoon ground utmeg
  • - salt & pepper to taste
  • 2 small cans tomato paste plus 3 cups water or use 1 lg. jar pasta sauce
  • 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 15-16 ounces ricotta cheese
  • 2 large eggs,
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed & thourgly drained

How To Make spinach stuffed manicotti shells by rose

  • Step 1
    Pre heat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook pasta according to package directions.Spray a 9 X 13 X 2 inch casserole dish with non stick cooking spray, and set aside until needed.
  • Step 2
    Brown meat in a large pot or skillet, over low heat, till browned and drain off any accumulated fat. Add onions garlic, and all spices. Stir in pasta sauce or water with tomato paste, stir to mix, and let simmer on low heat for 30 minutes until thickened and well mixed.
  • Step 3
    Then combine 2 cups mozzarella cheese, ricotta, spinach, eggs, & parmesan cheese in a medium size bowl and mix well.
  • Step 4
    Stuff filling into cooked pasta noodles using a small spoon. Spoon a little of the sauce on bottom of greased casserole dish.Fill pasta and arrange in dish. Spoon remaining sauce evenly over top. Cover and bake for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Remove cover and top with remaining mozzarella cheese. Return to oven and bake uncovered an additional 15 minutes.
  • Step 5
    Note because I use more meat than the recipe calls for I usually add more sauce also. Serving sizes are an estimate only. It really depends on weather your family or guest have hearty appetites or not.

Discover More

Category: Pasta
Culture: Italian
Keyword: #spinach
Keyword: #cheesy
Keyword: #filling
Keyword: #meaty
Ingredient: Beef
Method: Bake

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