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Tubes of sausage manicotti on a plate with cheese and spinach spilling out.
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5 from 1 vote

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
Cook Time50 minutes
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: how to make manicotti, italian manicotti recipe, sausage manicotti
Servings: 6 Servings

Ingredients

  • 8 ounce manicotti pasta

For the Italian Sausage Mixture

  • 16 ounce ground hot Italian sausage
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 12 ounce frozen chopped spinach

For the Ricotta Filling

For the Tomato Sauce

Instructions

  • 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.

Notes

  • 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.