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    Home » Dinner Recipes

    Four Cheese Manicotti

    BY: Ben Rayl PUBLISHED: 19 Apr, '13 UPDATED: 23 May, '21 17 Comments

    RecipeVideoPrintComments
    5 from 11 votes

    This four cheese manicotti recipe might just be my all time favorite pasta dinner.  I know, I know it’s pretty much just lasagna shaped differently, but there’s just something about it that makes me not be able to resist ordering it whenever I see it on a restaurant menu or making it when I want to wow some dinner guests.  The way the pasta tubes hold all that delicious cheese inside just makes it so darn yummy.

    Four cheese and spinach manicotti from comfortable food.

    I usually like it with a sausage tomato sauce poured over the top, but for this recipe I went more simple and vegetarian.  It’s super easy to make this dish at home – if you can’t find manicotti tubes, you can roll up lasagna sheets or use cannelloni – which is basically the same thing without the ridges.  Try this dish!  It will amaze you and all you serve it to.  SO yum.

    There is some prep time – about 30 minutes, but it’s totally worth it. The ‘casserole’ cooks for about an hour and it makes enough to serve up to 6 people.

    Four cheese and spinach manicotti from comfortable food.

    Four Cheese Manicotti

    This four cheese manicotti recipe might just be my all time favorite pasta dinner.  I know, I know it’s pretty much just lasagna shaped differently, but there’s just something about it that makes me not be able to resist ordering it whenever I see it on a restaurant menu or making it when I want to wow some dinner guests.
    5 from 11 votes
    Print Pin Rate Save Saved! Share
    Course: Dinner, Lunch
    Cuisine: Italian
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour
    Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
    Servings: 6 Servings
    Calories: 491kcal
    Author: Ben Rayl

    Ingredients
     

    • 1 box manicotti - about 12 shells
    • 2 tablespoon butter
    • 1 medium onion - sliced in rounds
    • 3 cloves garlic - thinly sliced
    • 16 oz cottage cheese
    • 8 oz ricotta cheese
    • 2 cups mozzarella - separated
    • 3 cups tomato sauce - Italian
    • 2 eggs - beaten
    • 3 cups spinach - chopped, packed
    • ½ cup parmesan - freshly grated plus more for garnish
    • salt and pepper - to taste

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350 F (175 C) and grease a large casserole dish.
    • In a large pot, boil the manicotti (add some oil to the water so they don't stick together) for about 2 minutes less than package instructs, then run under cold water before draining and set aside.
    • Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat then add the onion and cook for about two minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for 3 minutes more, until the onion is soft then remove from heat and set aside.
    • Put the cottage cheese (drain any excess liquid), ricotta, parmesan, 1 cup of the mozzarella in a large bowl and mix well.
    • Stir in the beaten eggs, the spinach and onion until well combined and season with salt and pepper.
    • Spread about 1 cup of the tomato sauce evenly on the bottom of the casserole dish.
    • Stuff the manicotti shells full with cheese and spinach mixture and arrange on top of the sauce.  (you can spoon the filling into the shells, or put it in a ziplock bag, then cut the corner and pipe the cheese mixture in)
    • Pour the remaining 2 cups of sauce over the shells and use a spoon to move them around a bit so the sauce gets between the manicotti, then sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella cheese on top and cover with foil.
    • Bake in the oven for about  45 minutes, then remove foil and bake for 15 more minutes, until the cheese is beginning to turn golden and the sauce is bubbling.

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 491kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 122mg | Sodium: 1358mg | Potassium: 787mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 2616IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 488mg | Iron: 3mg

    Reader Interactions

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Stephanie Manley

      November 10, 2018 at 7:16 am

      5 stars
      I love the flavor combination in this manicotti, so delicious!

      Reply
    2. Sandy

      November 09, 2018 at 7:43 am

      5 stars
      Such a great comfort dish!

      Reply
    3. Toni | Boulder Locavore

      November 09, 2018 at 3:14 am

      5 stars
      My family really enjoyed this for dinner!

      Reply
    4. Ashley @ Wishes & Dishes

      November 08, 2018 at 9:57 pm

      5 stars
      This is amazing!! All that cheese!

      Reply
    5. Joanne

      November 08, 2018 at 8:34 pm

      5 stars
      This is perfect. All the right proportions of ingredients!

      Reply
    6. Brenda

      November 08, 2018 at 8:20 pm

      5 stars
      I love new ways to sneak spinach into our family meals! 🙂

      Reply
    7. Barbara Schieving

      November 08, 2018 at 7:31 pm

      5 stars
      We love all that cheesy deliciousness too.

      Reply
    8. Trish Rosenquist

      November 08, 2018 at 7:01 pm

      5 stars
      My favorite kind of comfort food - yum!

      Reply
    9. Melissa Sperka

      November 08, 2018 at 8:31 am

      5 stars
      My go to recipe for meatless Monday!!

      Reply
    10. Lori

      November 08, 2018 at 7:49 am

      5 stars
      This is a family favorite!

      Reply
    11. Liz

      November 08, 2018 at 7:04 am

      5 stars
      My daughter is super picky and this was a recipe the whole family loved! I'll be making it again and again!

      Reply
    12. Teresita Nunez Ortiz

      March 05, 2015 at 10:01 am

      I Wonder if you can prep ahead and leave in fridge, anyone has tried?

      Reply
    13. New Ideas | Four cheese (and spinach) manicotti

      November 06, 2013 at 5:48 am

      […] For full recipe, directions and to print go to: https://comfortablefood.com/four-cheese-manicotti/ […]

      Reply
    14. jonissa jones

      August 30, 2013 at 2:00 am

      So,i made this tonight, freaking delish!!!

      Reply
    15. Anonymous

      April 22, 2013 at 12:30 am

      If you're not a vegan, a pound or so of burger mixed in would really be awesome!

      Reply

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    Chef Ben Rayl

    Hi, I'm Ben!

    I believe comfort food unites us, and I want to inspire you to cook at home with everyday ingredients. It is easier and takes less time than you think, costs less than eating out, and tastes a million times better.Read More

    Feel free to share our recipes on your blog using a photo and link back to the original recipe.

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