Best Baked Manicotti
Ingredients
Tomato Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 medium cloves garlic, finely minced
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomates, undrained
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- ½ teaspoon salt
Cheese Filling:
- 3 cups ricotta cheese, part skim or whole milk (see note for homemade)
- 1 cup (114 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups (228 g) shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, or 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil, or 1 teaspoon dried basil
Noodles + Topping:
- 16 no-boil lasagna noodles (see note)
- ½ cup (57 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- For the sauce: heat oil, garlic, and pepper flakes (if using) in large saucepan or skillet over medium heat until fragrant but not brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, basil and 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes.
- For the filling: in a medium bowl, combine ricotta, Parmesan cheese (1 cup), mozzarella cheese, eggs, salt, pepper, parsley and basil; set aside.
- To assemble: pour 1-2 inches boiling water into a 9X13-inch baking dish. Add the noodles one at a time, alternating directions so they don't stick. Let the noodles soak until soft enough to roll up, about 5 minutes. Separate the noodles with the tip of a sharp knife to prevent sticking. Remove the noodles from the water and place in a single layer on clean kitchen towels or paper towels. Discard the water in the baking dish and dry the dish to use for assembling and baking the manicotti.
- Spread 1 1/2 cups sauce on the bottom of the baking dish.
- Dollop about 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture on the bottom short side of each noodle. You can either spread the mixture evenly over the bottom 3/4 of the noodle or keep it in a little mound. Roll up the noodle and filling into a tube shape and arrange in the baking dish seam side down. All 16 noodles should easily fit in the 9X13-inch dish.
- Spread the remaining sauce evenly over the noodles so they are completely covered.
- Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake until the manicotti is bubbling, about 40 minutes. Remove the foil. Sprinkle the manicotti evenly with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (add more, if desired). Bake, uncovered, until cheese is browned and bubbly, about 6-7 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Notes
Tomatoes: very often I use two cans of crushed tomatoes (28 ounces each) instead of one can crushed/one can diced.
Homemade Ricotta: easy homemade ricotta recipe here.
Lasagna Noodles: I use the Barilla or Trader Joe's brand of no-boil lasagna noodles. They are flat sheets of pasta. Other no-boil noodles that are ridged may not work as well.
Make Ahead: the manicotti can be prepared right up until the baking step then covered with a sheet of parchment paper, wrapped in aluminum foil, and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month. To bake, remove the parchment, replace the aluminum foil, and increase baking time to 1 to 1 1/4 hours, covered, then bake, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes until heated through.