I feel as if my kids would eat any meal that consisted of beef, marinara and pasta. There’s just something about it that makes it a for-sure, kid-approved meal. Hey, I get it. This is a trio that just works. When I’m short on time or energy, the easiest thing to throw together is a spaghetti and meat sauce. It makes everyone happy. But even as comforting as a good spaghetti and sauce can be, you can’t make it every single night.
Funny side note: does anyone watch The Big Bang Theory?? Do you ever notice how often they eat spaghetti with meat sauce? If you haven’t noticed, watch for it! Anytime they’re eating a meal (and it’s not Chinese food), it’s spaghetti!
So let’s class it up a little more than spaghetti with meat sauce. Let’s talk about Giada De Laurentiis’s Beef & Cheese Manicotti…. it’s so simple and it is so delicious. This is my slightly adapted version…
Start by parboiling your manicotti shells. Parboiling simply means to remove it from the boiling water before it is finished cooking. The reason is- the manicotti shells are going to be soooo much easier to fill if they are still firm. Plus they’ll finish cooking in the oven anyway. So to a large pot of boiling water, add a little salt along with the manicotti shells. Cook 5-6 minutes until the shells are starting to soften, but still firm. While the shells are cooking, slightly oil a baking sheet with 1 tsp of EVOO. This will be where you place your manicotti shells to cool while you prepare the cheese and beef filling. **If you leave the manicotti shells in the colander, they will stick together so definitely use the oiled baking sheet.
Next, add the other 1 tsp of EVOO to a large skillet and add the onion and garlic. Cook until the onions become soft and translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add the ground beef and break it up as it cooks.
Once the ground beef is cooked, remove from heat and drain any excess fat.
Season the ground beef with salt and pepper and set it aside to cool. While the beef is cooling, grab a large bowl and add to it the ricotta, 2 cups of the shredded mozzarella cheese, 1 cup of the Parmesan cheese, most of the fresh chopped cilantro (save some for garnish), salt, pepper and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Stir together well.
Once the ground beef is cooled, add the beef-onion mixture to the cheese mixture and stir well to combine.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and fill a glass or ceramic 13×9” baking dish with 2 cups of the marinara sauce. Begin stuffing the manicotti shells. I started off by carefully stuffing with a spoon and then I moved to my hands. 😂 So do it however you find to be the easiest without breaking them. Place the filled shells in the baking dish.
Top the baking dish with the other 2 cups of marinara along with the other 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese. Next, dot the top with the small cubes of butter.
Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes until the cheese is melted, the manicotti shells are finished cooking and the sauce is bubbly. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Top with fresh chopped parsley.
And serve. Enjoy!
| Prep Time | 15 Minutes |
| Cook Time | 35-40 Minutes |
| Servings |
4-5 Servings
|
- 2 Tsp EVOO Divided
- 10-12 Manicotti Shells Parboiled (about 4-5 minutes)
- 1 Lb Lean Ground Beef I used 90-10
- 1 Medium Onion, diced
- 3 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 15 Oz Ricotta Cheese
- 3 Cups Shredded Mozzarella, divided
- 1 1/2 Cups Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided
- 1/4 Cup Fresh Chopped Parsley
- 4 Cups Marinara Sauce Homemade or store-bought, whatever you like
- 2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, cut into small cubes
- Salt and Pepper
- Pinch of Crushed Red Pepper, optional
Ingredients
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|
- Start by parboiling your manicotti shells. To a large pot of boiling water, add a little salt along with your pasta. Cook for 5-6 minutes until half-cooked and slightly soft, but still firm. Lightly oil a baking sheet with 1 tsp EVOO and set manicotti on it to cool until ready to stuff with filling.
- To a large skillet, add 1 tsp of EVOO and add onion and garlic. Cook until onion begins to soften, about 2-3 minutes. Add ground beef, breaking it up as it cooks.
- Once ground beef is cooked, remove from heat, season with salt and pepper and then drain off any excess fat. Set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, add together the ricotta, 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese and 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese. Stir together to combine. Add most of the chopped parsley (leaving some behind for garnish) as well as salt, pepper and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Stir together.
- Add the cooled ground beef mixture to the cheese mixture and stir well. To a glass or ceramic 13x9” baking dish, add 2 cups of marinara.
- Begin carefully stuffing the manicotti shells with the cheese-beef mixture. Place the stuffed ones into the baking dish. Repeat until all shells are stuffed.
- Top the stuffed shells with the other 2 cups of marinara. Then top with the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella and half cup of grated Parmesan. Dot the top of the baking dish with the small pieces of butter.
- Bake in a preheated oven set to 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes until the manicotti shells are soft, the cheese is melted and the marinara is bubbly and hot.
- Let cool for 5 minutes. Top with remaining fresh parsley and serve.
Welcome to Cupcakes and Sarcasm! My name is Maggie and I am the creator of C & S. I am a wife and mom of two beautiful kiddos. I grew up in Columbus, Ohio and now live in Northeast Ohio with my family. I have been cooking and baking since I was a kid. I decided in 2017 that I wanted to share my passion (and recipes) with all of you! On this site, you’ll find easy and delicious recipes- both savory and sweet. I’ll also sprinkle in some stories of parenting and our adventures along the way.