Make My Day Camp: Make-Ahead Spinach Manicotti

Wednesday, July 10, 2024

Make-Ahead Spinach Manicotti

I made this for Sunday supper and it was a hit! Not hard to do, but it does take a little time filling each manicotti shell. One tip that makes filling them easier is to put it in a ziplock bag, snip a little corner off and then insert it into a shell, squeeze lightly until the shell is filled. I served the manicotti with meatballs cooked in red sauce, crusty bread, and salad bar. Yum.

1 (15 oz) carton ricotta cheese
1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 1/2 cups (6 oz.) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
3/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese, divided
1 egg
2 t. minced fresh parsley
1/2 t. onion powder
1/2 t. pepper
1/8 t. garlic powder
2 jars (28 oz. each) spaghetti sauce
1 1/2 cups water
1 (8 oz.) package manicotti shells

In a large bowl combine ricotta, spinach, 1 cup mozzarella, 1/4 cup parmesan, egg, parsley, onion powder, pepper, and garlic powder.

In another bowl combine spaghetti sauce and water; spread one cup of sauce in an uncreased 13x9" baking dish.

Stuff uncooked manicotti with spinach mixture; arrange over sauce. Pour remaining sauce over manicotti. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and parmesan. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 350' for 40-50 minutes or until heated through.

Makes 6-8 servings