Our version of manicotti, which includes several favorite ingredients such as spinach, mushrooms, San Marzano tomatoes, and Ricotta, is the perfect match of flavors and textures. It’s real “comfort food” that is even better as a leftover meal. This is one of the recipes in Bob Johnson’s cookbook, The Left Over Ranch Cookbook: Memories on a Plate in the Pizza and Pasta chapter.

Bob Johnson

Spinach and Mushroom Manicotti

The perfect combination of flavors and textures, manicotti shells stuffed with ricotta, spinach, mushrooms, and a hint of nutmeg, baked in a rich San Marzano tomato sauce. Real comfort food that is genuinely better the next day as a leftover.

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Prep Time 30

Cook Time 1 5

Total Time 1 35

Servings: 5

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: American, Italian

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

Manicotti

1 box of Manicotti pasta
¼ cup reserved pasta water

Tomato Sauce

28 oz can San Marzano peeled tomatoes crushed
15 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
15 oz can tomato sauce
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tbsp molasses
4 tbsp olive oil

Filling

8 oz mushrooms chopped
1 shallot chopped
1 clove garlic chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
12 oz spinach chopped
12 oz Ricotta cheese
1 egg beaten
½ cup each Romano/Parmesan
1 tsp red pepper flakes
4 oz fresh mozzarella grated
A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

large pasta pot
9x13 inch baking dish
saucepan
large mixing bowl
sheet pan (for oven spillage protection)

Method

Cook the pasta and start the sauce. Cook the manicotti al dente according to package directions. Reserve ¼ cup pasta water before draining. Drain and cool the shells on wax paper or a silicone mat lined sheet pan in a single layer. Preheat oven to 400°F.
Simmer the sauce. Combine olive oil, San Marzano tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, brown sugar, and molasses in a saucepan. Simmer on low heat stirring often while preparing everything else. Add the reserved pasta water after the pasta has cooked.
Cook the vegetables. In a skillet over medium heat add olive oil, mushrooms, shallot, salt, and pepper. Cook for 3-5 minutes stirring often. Add the spinach, garlic, and nutmeg and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat.
Make the filling. In a large bowl mix together the ricotta, egg, half the Romano and Parmesan, pepper flakes, and the cooked vegetables. Stir well to combine.
Fill the shells. Fill each manicotti shell with the ricotta mixture using a spoon or piping bag.
Assemble. Spread 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Spoon in half the pasta sauce. Arrange the filled manicotti shells in a single layer, it will be tight. Add the remaining sauce and Romano and Parmesan cheese, then sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the top.
Bake. Cover the baking dish and bake for 30 minutes. Place a sheet pan on a lower rack to catch any spillage. Uncover and bake for an additional 5 minutes until bubbly and golden.
Rest and serve. Remove from the oven and rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

A piping bag makes filling the manicotti shells much easier and neater than a spoon, a large zip lock bag with one corner snipped off works perfectly as a substitute. The pinch of nutmeg in the filling is subtle but important, it's the classic Italian touch that makes ricotta filling taste complete. This dish is genuinely better the next day after the flavors have had time to meld. Bronze cut pasta holds its shape better during baking, look for De Cecco manicotti if available. This recipe appears in the Pizza and Pasta chapter of the Left Over Ranch Cookbook.