Cheesy, meaty, spinach and oh so delicious manicotti

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This dish was one of the first recipes I tried to perfect when I bought my house 17 years ago. I had always been a huge fan of Italian food but outside of a simple spaghetti, I never really cooked much Italian. I was on a mission to really utilize my new kitchen (probably one of the biggest selling points of the house) so the first thing I did was buy a bunch of cookbooks. Those books have mostly collected dust over the years so that idea was a complete bust. What I did do is turn to the internet and read multiple sites for “easy Italian dishes” as I’m definitely the Olive Garden variety type chef….at least at that time. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love some OG but it’s not exactly eating at a restaurant in Florence….of course I’ve never eaten at a restaurant in Florence or anywhere in Italy but nonetheless, you get what I’m saying.

Anyway, I started with a few different recipes, multiple trials and eventually started adding a few ingredients when I was feeling a bit more confident. Below is the recipe that is now my go to for a super easy, delicious and filling meal that will feed a party of 6-8+ depending on how many shells you decide to use.

Ingredients:

  • 20 ounces ricotta cheese
  • 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 2 cups grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 eggs
  • 10 ounces fresh spinach
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 yellow onion finely chopped
  • 18-24 uncooked manicotti shells (the filling will definitely make up to 24)
  • 1 lbs ground beef (lean)
  • 1 lbs Italian sausage
  • 2 24 ounce spicy marinara sauce (I use Mezzetta spicy marinara)
  • Italian seasoning, salt & pepper to taste
  • Fresh parsley for garnish

Directions:

  • Dice the onion and two garlic cloves, saute
  • Add the beef and Italian sausage to the onion and garlic
  • Brown the meat, draining all excess fat (set aside). Season with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning
  • Saute the spinach with the butter and the remaining 2 garlic cloves (set aside)
  • In a large mixing bowl, mix the two eggs and ricotta cheese
  • Add 2 and 1/2 cups of the mozzarella cheese and 1 cup of the parmesan cheese. Mix well
  • Add the meat and spinach to the cheese mixture, mix
  • In a large baking dish, thinly spread the marinara sauce, covering the bottom of the baking dish
  • Fill the manicotti shells with the cheese, spinach & meat mixture
  • Generously cover the shells with the remaining marinara sauce (note: you’ll likely not need to use all of the sauce, I usually have 1/2 a jar left)
  • Cover the dish in foil and bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes
  • Remove the manicotti from the oven and add the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese on top and bake an additional 7-10 minutes uncovered until the cheese is melted
  • Remove from oven and garnish with fresh parsley

*NOTE: I use the spicy marinara because I love to add a little spice to all my dishes. Most would probably prefer just the regular Mezzetta marinara. Also, our family loves, loves, loves cheese. Obviously, it’s not necessary to add that much additional cheese on top of the dish in the final stage; up to you! You’ll also likely have filling leftover. You could make more or possibly freeze it. Full disclosure though, I’ve never frozen it and tried using it again. If you do, let me know how it turned out!