Spinach & Sausage Manicotti
These tender manicotti pasta tubes are filled with savory Italian sausage and a spinach ricotta mixture, then smothered in seasoned tomato sauce and topped with gooey mozzarella. It’s perfect for a family dinner.
Prep Time30 minutes mins
Cook Time50 minutes mins
Total Time1 hour hr 20 minutes mins
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: how to make manicotti, italian manicotti recipe, sausage manicotti
Servings: 6 Servings
For the Italian Sausage Mixture
- 16 ounce ground hot Italian sausage
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 12 ounce frozen chopped spinach
Preheat the oven to 350° F and spray a 7x11 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium high heat.
Once water boils, cook manicotti for about 7 minutes, drain.
For the Italian Sausage Mixture
In a large frying pan over medium high heat, cook sausage and onions until sausage is no longer pink and onions are translucent. Drain grease and put mixture into a large bowl.
Add the thawed, drained spinach to the meat mixture. Stir to combine.
For the Ricotta Filling
In a medium bowl, mix together ricotta, parmesan, egg, and dried parsley flakes.
Add ricotta mixture into the sausage mixture and stir until everything is mixed well.
For the Tomato Sauce
In the pan used to cook the sausage, add in tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and water. Stir together and add in seasonings.
Reduce heat and bring sauce to a simmer.
Pour ½ cup of sauce into the bottom of the prepared dish.
Fill each manicotti noodle with the ricotta meat mixture and place in the prepared baking dish. Repeat until all noodles are filled and placed in the dish.
Pour remaining sauce over the stuffed noodles and then top with shredded mozzarella cheese.
Cover the dish with foil and bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes.
- Fill it the easy way: I’ve found the quickest and least messy way to fill manicotti is with a piping bag, or simply grab a zip-top bag, snip the corner, and squeeze.
- Don’t overcook the pasta: Keep a close eye on it. You want it just al dente. Still firm enough to hold its shape while you’re stuffing it.
- Drain the meat: Even if your sausage looks pretty lean, drain it. A little grease can make your filling watery.