Easy Beef, Spinach, and Cheese Manicotti is a fancy pasta dish made simple. You don’t have to precook the noodles so it’s way easier and less time consuming.
If there’s one food I’m always down for, it’s Italian. Pasta con Broccoli, Toasted Ravioli, this Easy Beef Spinach and Cheese Manicotti… it’s just so comforting, warm, cheesy! How can one resist?!
This is basically lasagna just in a different form but I like this Easy Beef, Spinach, and Cheese Manicotti better. Lasagna seems to slip and slide all over the place so some bites are just completely noodle because all the meat and sauce slides out. These manicotti stuffed noodles don’t give you that problem. Plus, they are just so beautiful!
You make everything from scratch in the recipe but it’s not too difficult and the taste is totally worth it. Some manicotti recipes don’t use a meaty sauce but I love the taste and it helps keep you more full.
The noodles are filled with a mixture of 3 cheeses- ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan. Aww yeah! And there’s spinach and a couple eggs in there too. I use to stuff them with a baby spoon but have found that tossing the mix into a bag, cutting the tip, and pipping it in on both ends is way easier and a heck of a lot less messy.
If you’re looking for a delicious meal that will keep you full and wow your family and dinner guests, this Easy Beef, Spinach, and Cheese Manicotti is it! Enjoy!
Easy Beef, Spinach, and Cheese Manicotti
Easy Beef, Spinach, and Cheese Manicotti
Ingredients
For the sauce:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic
- 4 cups tomato juice, divided
- 1 6 ounce can tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For the Filling:
- 1 15 ounce container part-skim Ricotta cheese
- 3 cups 12 ounces shredded Mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1 package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 8 ounce package manicotti shells (uncooked)
- Parsley or basil
Instructions
For the Sauce:
- Cook the ground beef and onion until beef is browned. Add the garlic and cook another minute.
- Add 2 cups of tomato juice, tomato paste, and seasonings.
- Bring to a simmer, cover, and reduce heat. Cook for about 20 minutes or until meat is tender.
For the Filling:
- Mix the ricotta, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, spinach, eggs, Parmesan, and salt together until combined. Place in a plastic bag and then squeeze into both ends of each shell.
Assembling:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9×13 inch baking pan.
- Place filled shells in the bottom of the pan and top with the simmered sauce and then pour the remaining 2 cups of tomato juice on top.
- Cover with foil and bake for 50 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, take off foil, and immediately put on the remaining 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese and let it sit for 10 minutes. Top with parsley or basil and serve.
More awesome Italian recipes to try:
- Baked Ziti with Sweet Italian Sausage by Garnish & Glaze
- Chicken Mozzarella Pasta with Sun Dried Tomatoes by Julia’s Album
- Pasta con Broccoli by Garnish & Glaze
- Pasta Carbonara by Cooking Classy
Can I just get a clarification? Is it 4 cups of tomato juice or tomato sauce? The ingredients list says juice. Later it refers to tomato sauce. Just don’t want to mess it up.
It’s tomato juice! 2 cups when making the sauce and then 2 cups poured over the top.
I am confused. You say beef but the filling recipe has no beef. The first photo shows beef stuffing The next 2 photos show cheese stuffed and then the photos morph into beef stuffed. Is there another recipe?
The beef is in the sauce. The noodles are stuffed with a cheese and spinach mix and the beef sauce is poured on top. The pictures and the recipe indicate that.
How do the shells cook if you don’t precook them at least a little?
They cook in the moisture of the sauce since you’re baking it covered tightly in foil.
You want to precook them cause if you don’t you will have gummy noodles. I can’t stand when they say uncooked, that’s gross.
I have never had them turn out gummy with this recipe. Maybe those other recipes didn’t haven enough liquid?
Ok thank you!!! 😊
This recipe looks absolutely awesome and I intend to try it…!
Question, in your video you use a tool for the garlic cloves. Is this a garlic press…?
Hey Mark! Yes! Here is the one I have (affiliate link). I love it and use it whenever a recipe calls for minced garlic. Enjoy the manicotti!
This recipe sounds delicious. What size can of tomato paste do we use?
The small one. 6 ounces.
Hi ur recipe looks amazing and I want to try it but I have fresh spinach can I use it instead of frozen? I am making this tomorrow for dinner!
Good morning, I just subscribed to your newsletter beause what I saw here looks interesting. I am from Greece and stay in Athens, we have a different cousine but I cook a lot and have lots of tested and traditional recepies that might interest you.
When I prepare caneloni in a similar recepie like yours I stuff them with cooked groud beef one egg and some cheese and cover eith milk they come out delicious. I can sent you the recepie if you like.
Thanks for subscribing! I’d love to try your recipe! That sounds yummy. You can send it to Melanie@garnishandglaze.com. Can’t wait to try it!
This looks amazing! We haven’t made manicotti in ages! Adding this to next weeks menu!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com