Manicotti (3-Cheese Stuffed Pasta)

Manicotti pasta tubes are stuffed with ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan, then baked in tomato sauce until bubbling. It’s a comforting dinner you can assemble ahead.

Three-Cheese Manicotti with a Creamy Ricotta Filling

A pan of manicotti brings together tender pasta, creamy cheese, and tomato sauce, with melted mozzarella tucked into every bite. I like to make a big batch of my homemade spaghetti sauce and freeze some for this recipe. Having the sauce ready takes one task off the dinner list!

The three-cheese filling is what makes this stuffed manicotti recipe special. Whole milk ricotta brings a gentle sweetness, mozzarella melts into the filling, and Parmesan adds savory depth. Fresh parsley and Italian seasoning balance all that richness.

You don’t need to make pasta from scratch here. Use dried manicotti tubes, boil them briefly, and fill them with a piping bag or a large zip-top bag with the corner snipped off. The pasta finishes cooking in the sauce as it bakes.

A good jar of marinara works, too, making this a practical dinner for a weeknight or an evening with friends. Add garlic bread to scoop up the sauce, or assemble the manicotti the night before so it’s ready to bake the next day.

Ingredients for Manicotti

The filling uses three cheeses, fresh parsley, and a dried herb blend. Here’s what to look for and what each ingredient brings to the dish:

• Manicotti pasta: These large pasta tubes are made for stuffing. You’ll need 8 ounces, or about 12 tubes, for this recipe. They’re boiled until softened but still slightly firm, leaving them to finish cooking in the oven.
• Whole milk ricotta: This mild, fresh cheese forms the creamy base of the filling. Choose a good-quality whole milk ricotta for its richness and texture.
• Fresh mozzarella: Torn or sliced mozzarella goes into the filling and over the top of the pasta. It adds a milky flavor and melts as the manicotti bakes.
• Parmesan: Freshly grate it from a block for a savory flavor that complements the milder ricotta and mozzarella. Half goes into the filling and half over the top.
• Fresh parsley: Finely chopped parsley leaves bring freshness to the cheese mixture. Save a little extra to garnish the baked pasta.
• Italian seasoning: A blend of dried herbs, such as oregano, basil, and thyme, seasons the filling. I use my homemade Italian seasoning without added salt so I can season as I go. Store-bought seasoning works as well; check whether it contains salt before adding more.
• Kosher salt and black pepper: Salt the pasta water, then season the filling with salt and pepper, accounting for any salt already in your Italian seasoning.
• Extra virgin olive oil: A drizzle enriches the ricotta filling. Use a smooth, good-quality oil, like our Italian Nocellara extra virgin olive oil.
• Spaghetti sauce or marinara: Use 3 cups of homemade spaghetti sauce or one 24-ounce jar of marinara. Spread half beneath the stuffed pasta and the rest over the top. In autumn, try butternut squash pasta sauce instead of tomato sauce.

How to Make Manicotti 

Briefly boil the pasta, mix the three-cheese filling, then stuff and bake. A piping bag makes filling the tubes easier, but a large zip-top bag with one corner snipped off works just as well.

• Get ready. Position a rack in the middle of your oven and heat to 350°F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season well with kosher salt.
• Partially cook the pasta. Add 8 ounces of manicotti and cook until softened but still slightly firm, about 5 to 6 minutes. Drain and let cool. The pasta will finish cooking in the sauce, so don’t cook it until completely tender at this stage.
• Mix the filling. In a medium bowl, combine 15 ounces of whole milk ricotta with 5 ounces of torn or sliced fresh mozzarella and half of the ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan. Reserve the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan for the topping. Add ⅓ cup finely chopped parsley, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, and a big pinch of salt and black pepper—about ½ to ¾ teaspoon each, depending on whether your seasoning contains salt. Drizzle in a little extra virgin olive oil and mix until well combined.
• Prepare the baking dish and piping bag. Spread 1½ cups of spaghetti sauce across the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Transfer the cheese filling to a piping bag fitted with a round tip, or use a large zip-top bag with one corner snipped off.
• Fill the manicotti. Once the tubes are cool enough to handle, pipe filling into one end, then fill from the other end until the tube is completely stuffed. Arrange each filled tube in the baking dish as you go.
• Top and bake. Spoon the remaining 1½ cups sauce over the manicotti. Sprinkle with the reserved Parmesan and distribute the remaining 5 ounces mozzarella over the top. Bake on the center rack for 20 to 30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
• Rest and serve. Remove the dish from the oven and let the manicotti rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Garnish with more chopped parsley and serve.

How to Stuff Manicotti

Use a piping bag fitted with a round tip, or a large zip-top bag with one corner snipped off. Make the opening wide enough for the filling, including the pieces of mozzarella, to pass through.

Once the pasta is cool enough to handle, pipe filling into one end of each tube, then turn it and finish from the other end. This lets you fill the entire tube without pushing the cheese mixture all the way through from one opening.

Tips for Filling and Baking Manicotti

A little care when boiling and stuffing the tubes makes assembly easier. Here are the details to keep in mind:

• Leave the pasta slightly firm. The initial 5 to 6 minutes of boiling softens the tubes for stuffing; the oven finishes the cooking. Look for pasta that has softened but still holds its shape, rather than fully tender tubes that are harder to handle.
• Let the tubes cool before filling. Hot pasta is difficult to hold while piping. Drain it and give it time to become cool enough to handle, then work gently as you fill each tube.
• Reserve the topping before you start mixing. Half the mozzarella and Parmesan belong in the filling; the other half goes over the sauce before baking. Keeping those portions separate helps you avoid mixing all the cheese into the ricotta.
• Check your Italian seasoning for salt. My homemade blend has no added salt, but store-bought blends vary. Account for that when seasoning the filling.
• Keep the sauce beneath and above the pasta. Spread the bottom layer across the dish and spoon the remaining sauce over the filled tubes. The pasta finishes cooking in that sauce, so both layers matter.
• Use the visual cue along with the timer. Start checking at 20 minutes and look for melted, bubbling cheese. Then give the manicotti its 5 to 10 minutes of resting time before serving.

What to Serve with Manicotti

Pair creamy cheese manicotti with a crisp salad and something to scoop up the tomato sauce. My lemon Parmesan lettuce salad takes just 5 minutes, and its bright lemon dressing balances the rich filling.

For a dinner with friends or a date night in, add homemade garlic bread and a glass of Italian red wine. You can coordinate the bread with the pasta so both are ready to serve together:

1. Bake the foil-wrapped garlic bread at 350°F alongside the manicotti during the final 10 minutes.
2. Remove the manicotti and let it rest. Unwrap and open the bread, then increase the oven temperature to 400°F.
3. Finish baking the bread according to the garlic bread recipe while the pasta rests.

Make-Ahead and Freezing Instructions

You can assemble manicotti the day before serving or freeze it unbaked for a later dinner. A ready-to-bake casserole also makes a thoughtful meal for new parents or a friend who could use a little help.

Prepare the stuffed pasta with its sauce and cheese topping, stopping before the baking step.

• To refrigerate: Wrap the assembled dish tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Remove the wrap and bake at 350°F until the cheese is melted and slightly browned, about 30 to 40 minutes.
• To freeze: Wrap the assembled dish tightly with plastic wrap, followed by foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. Remove all wrapping and bake from frozen at 350°F until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the center is hot, about 50 minutes to 1 hour.

The refrigerated and frozen versions need longer in the oven than freshly assembled manicotti. Use the times as a guide and check the center before serving.

How to Store and Reheat Leftover Manicotti

Transfer cooked leftovers to shallow, airtight containers and refrigerate within 2 hours of serving, or within 1 hour if the surrounding temperature is above 90°F. Keep refrigerated for 3 to 4 days.

Reheat individual portions in the microwave or the oven until the center reaches 165°F, measured with a food thermometer.

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