Spinach Manicotti With Italian Sausage Recipes

SPINACH CHEESE MANICOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a large bowl, combine ricotta, spinach, onion and egg. Season with parsley, pepper and garlic powder. Mix in 1 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan. In a separate bowl, stir together spaghetti sauce and water.
• Spread 1 cup sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Stuff uncooked manicotti shells with ricotta mixture, and arrange in a single layer in the dish. Cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.
• Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes, or until noodles are soft.

STUFFED MANICOTTI WITH SAUSAGE AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a 13x9-inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
• Put a large pot of water on the stove top and heat on medium-low while preparing the sauce.

MANICOTTI WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepot over medium heat. Cook the sausage, breaking it up into small pieces, until browned and caramelized, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the sausage to a paper towel-lined plate and reserve for the filling.
• Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pot and cook the onion until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute (the tomato paste will turn a deep maroon color). Add the crushed tomatoes, sugar, bay leaves, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a pinch of black pepper. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low and cook for 30 minutes. Melt the butter into the sauce, remove the bay leaves and stir in 1/3 cup of basil. Remove the sauce from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature, 40 minutes.
• For the filling: mix together the ricotta, reserved sausage, the remaining 1/3 cup basil, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, 1 1/2 cups Parmesan, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Fold in 1 cup of the cooled tomato sauce. Place the filling in a large piping bag and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the manicotti shells until they have softened slightly but still hold their tubular shape, 5 minutes.
• Pour half of the tomato sauce into a broiler-proof 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Fill each shell with the ricotta mixture. Place the filled shells in the baking dish. Pipe any extra filling along the ends of the shells in the dish. Top with the remaining tomato sauce and sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups mozzarella and 1 cup Parmesan over the top. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake until the sauce begins to bubble, 40 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven, remove the foil and increase the oven to 425 degrees F. Put the manicotti back into the oven to bake until the cheese is browned and bubbling, about 10 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

MANDY RIVERS | SOUTH YOUR MOUTH

Steps:

• Cook manicotti in liberally salted water per manufacturer's instructions (see notes below).
• Meanwhile, remove casings from Italian sausage (if applicable) then cook and crumble sausage and onion in a large skillet until sausage is cooked through and browned. Add spinach then continue cooking for a few minutes or until spinach is wilted. Drain skillet if necessary.
• Remove sausage mixture from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Add 1 cup shredded mozzarella, 1/2 cup grated parmesan, egg, garlic powder, salt and pepper then mix well.
• Spray a 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray (or rub with olive oil). Spread 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce in the bottom of the dish.
• Drain manicotti well then stuff each tube with meat mixture. Place stuffed manicotti in baking dish (I do one row down the middle then 4 tubes along the sides). If you have any of the meat mixture left over, just tuck it into the corners and/or crumble on top of the manicotti.
• Cover manicotti with remaining sauce, cover tightly with aluminum foil then bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until sauce is bubbly.
• Remove aluminum foil then top dish with remaining mozzarella and parmesan. Continue baking, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted and lightly golden.
• Let dish rest 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE MANICOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Cook and crumble Italian sausage in a large nonstick pan. Once you have it broken apart, add the onion. Cook until the sausage is no longer pink.
• Add garlic, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper flakes and cook 1 minute.
• Turn heat to low and add cream cheese. Stir until melted. Remove from heat.
• Let cool slightly and then stir in 3/4 cup of mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, and pepper.
• Stuff the mixture into the manicotti shells. You can either use a spoon or fork to push it in or you can transfer the mixture ot a large ziptop bag and snip the corner and pipe it in.
• Pour about 1/2 cup of sauce in the prepared baking dish and spread it evenly. Place the filled manicotti tubes on top of the sauce.Pour remaining sauce on top of manicotti.
• Cover and bake for 25 minutes.
• Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered for 10 more minutes.

SAUSAGE SPINACH MANICOTTI

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine 1 cup mozzarella cheese, cottage cheese, spinach, Parmesan cheese, egg, oregano and garlic; stuff into uncooked manicotti shells. Place in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish., Crumble sausage into a large skillet; cook over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce; pour over manicotti. Pour water along sides of pan. , Cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Bake 5-8 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

SPINACH MANICOTTI WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bring a pot of water to a boil and immerse spinach in the boiling water until dark green and softened, about 2 minutes. Drain and squeeze out excess moisture.
• Cook sausage in a skillet over medium heat until browned and crumbly, about 10 minutes, stirring often. Drain excess grease. Combine spinach and sausage in a bowl. Mix cottage cheese and 8 ounces of mozzarella cheese into sausage and spinach, stirring until filling is thoroughly combined.
• Use your fingers to stuff uncooked manicotti shells with stuffing. Lay stuffed manicotti into a baking dish, side by side, and pour both jars of sauce over manicotti.
• Bake in the preheated oven until manicotti are tender but still slightly firm to the bite and the filling is hot, 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Sprinkle remaining 4 ounces of mozzarella cheese over the dish, let the cheese melt, and serve.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND CHEESE BAKED MANICOTTI

Steps:

• Cook manicotti in liberally salted water according to the directions.
• Meanwhile, cook and crumble sausage in a large-skillet till sausage is cooked through & browned.
• Add spinach then continue cooking for a couple of minutes or till spinach is wilted. Drain skillet if needed.
• Remove sausage mix from heat and let it cool for 5 minutes. Then add 1 cup shredded mozzarella, ½ cup grated parmesan, garlic powder, egg, pepper and salt then blend well.
• Spray a 13x9" baking-dish with cooking-spray (or rub with olive-oil). Spread ½ cup spaghetti-sauce at the bottom of the dish.
• Drain manicotti nicely then stuff each tube with meat mix. Put stuffed manicotti in baking-dish.
• Cover manicotti with sauce, cover tightly with aluminum foil and then bake at 375°F for 30-35 minutes or till sauce is tender.
• Remove aluminum foil and top dish with remaining parmesan and mozzarella. Continue baking, uncovered for 20-25 minutes or till cheese is melted and lightly-golden.
• Let dish rest for 15 minutes before serving. You can garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired.

EASY SPINACH SAUSAGE MANICOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Cook sausage in skillet on medium heat for 14-16 minutes, covered, turning occasionally.
• Sausage is done when cooked through, with no pink in center.
• In separate skillet, steam spinach.
• When sausage is done, chop into ½ in.
• pieces, return to same skillet and add marinara sauce.
• Let sauce and sausage simmer while you prepare manicotti filling.
• Make filling by mixing first 6 ingredients together.
• Stuff filling into uncooked shells and lay in an 8” x 13” glass casserole dish.
• Pour sauce and water over stuffed shells.
• Cover with foil, bake for 45 minutes.
• Remove foil and cook for another 5 minutes-adding shredded mozzarella or parmesan cheese if desired.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE SPINACH CANNELLONI

Steps:

• Cook manicotti according to package directions; drain. Set aside. (Or don't and increase the sauce measurements. If increasing the sauce measurements you may want to use a roaster or a deeper pan.).
• To prepare tomato sauce: In Dutch oven (or large heavy saucepan) add olive oil and 1 cup onions. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until onions are soft (5-8 minutes). Add tomatoes, reserved juice, and all remaining sauce ingredients (tomato paste, basil, sugar, 1/2 t salt, and 1/4 t pepper). Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until sauce just comes to a boil (2-4 minutes). Cover; reduce heat to low. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, 35 minutes.
• Meanwhile, to prepare filling: in 10-inch skillet add sausage, 1/4 cup onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sausage is browned (10-12 minutes). Drain off fat. Add spinach. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until spinach is soft (2-3 minutes). Place sausage mixture in large bowl. Cool 10 minutes. Stir in 1/3 cup Parmesan, eggs, oregano, and 1/4 t pepper. Set aside.
• To prepare bechamel sauce: in 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth and bubbly (1 minute). Add milk, whipping cream, and pepper. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens (5-8 minutes).
• Heat oven to 375. Divide filling between manicotti tubes using a small spoon to fill each tube with about 2 T of filling (I use my clean hands--think stuffing a roll of coins). Place 1/4 cup tomato sauce on bottom of 13x9x2-inch baking pan (more if you don't boil the noodles and in a deeper pan). Place filled tubes on top of tomato sauce. Pour bechamel sauce over tubes. Top with remaining tomato sauce. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted.
• **This is a great OAMC recipe. Before cooking/prep day, I would prepare the tomato sauce and sausage/spinach filling mixture and chill (I would prepare the tomato sauce anyway to serve as a pasta sauce--I could literally drink the stuff!). Make the bechamel sauce the day of your big session. Fill the tubes and prep the pans. Cook 45 minutes (Covered!), wrap in foil and freeze. On "eating day," cook at 375 until tubes are al dente (they probably already will be) and bubbly and cheese is melted. I would keep it covered for most of the cooking time. This is a very very rich recipe, so I would serve with a salad of bitter greens tossed in a sharp vinaigrette. It says it serves 8, but, as I said, the sauces are so rich that I can't really eat more than one tube, so I would say it serves 14.