Cheesy Vegetable Manicotti
This recipe guides you through making a hearty Cheesy Vegetable Manicotti. It involves saut u00e9ing vegetables for a ricotta filling, preparing a simple tomato sauce, stuffing cooked manicotti shells, layering them in a baking dish with sauce and cheese, and baking until bubbly and golden.
Equipment
- 1 Large Skillet For cooking vegetables
- 1 Medium Bowl For cooling vegetables and mixing filling
- 1 Food Processor or Knife/Cutting Board For preparing the tomato sauce
- 1 9x13 inch Baking Dish
- 1 Resealable Plastic Bag & Scissors For piping the filling
Ingredients
Main
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 1 small zucchini finely diced
- 1 small yellow squash finely diced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- One 15-ounce container whole-milk ricotta
- 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 1 large egg beaten
- One 28-ounces can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
- Neutral oil or nonstick cooking spray for the baking dish
- 12 manicotti shells cooked according to package instructions and drained
- 1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- For the filling: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the zucchini and yellow squash, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the squash softens but is not mushy, about 4 minutes. Pour the mixture into a medium bowl and let cool.
- Add the ricotta, Parmesan, parsley, egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to the cooled vegetables. Stir to combine.
- For the tomato sauce: In a food processor, pulse the tomatoes with their juices until they are coarsely ground or chop the tomatoes by hand. Transfer them to a bowl, add the salt and pepper, then stir in the basil.
- For the manicotti: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with oil or cooking spray.
- Transfer the filling mixture to a large resealable plastic bag. Snip a large hole out of one corner of the bag with scissors and use the bag to pipe the mixture into the cooked manicotti shells.
- Spread about 1 cup of the tomato sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Place the manicotti shells into the baking dish. Spread the remaining sauce over the manicotti. Top with the mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted, 35 to 40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Ensure the vegetable mixture is fully cooled before adding it to the ricotta and egg to prevent the egg from cooking prematurely. Cook the manicotti shells al dente, as they will continue to cook and soften in the oven. Don't overfill the shells, which can cause them to split during baking. For a richer sauce, consider adding a splash of red wine or a pinch of sugar to balance acidity. Always allow the finished dish to rest for 10 minutes before serving; this helps the manicotti set and makes portioning much easier and cleaner.