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Beef and Spinach Manicotti Bake
Andre Lewis

Beef and Spinach Manicotti Bake

Manicotti gets a beefier center by folding fine browned crumbles into ricotta and spinach. The meat cools before filling so it does not melt the cheese or warm raw egg. Plenty of sauce beneath and over the tubes lets the pasta finish without splitting into dry seams.
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Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 8
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 14 manicotti tubes
  • 1 pound 90% lean ground beef
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 package frozen chopped spinach 10 ounces, thawed and squeezed dry
  • 15 ounces whole-milk ricotta
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
  • 3 cups marinara sauce
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella

Method
 

  1. Heat the oven to 375°F and grease a 9-by-13-inch dish. Boil the manicotti 3 minutes short of package directions, drain and cool in one layer.
  2. Brown the beef, drain well, add garlic for 30 seconds and cool for 10 minutes.
  3. Mix the beef, spinach, ricotta, egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper and Parmesan. Fill each tube with the mixture.
  4. Spread 1 cup marinara in the dish, arrange the tubes in one layer, cover with remaining sauce and mozzarella.
  5. Cover and bake 30 minutes, then uncover and bake 8 to 10 minutes more. Rest 10 minutes before serving.