SPINACH AND CHEESE MANICOTTI RECIPE BY TASTY

Spinach And Cheese Manicotti Recipe by Tasty image

Provided by Sarah LaDue

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 15

1 box manicotti shells, follow box directions to prepare
12 cups shredded italian cheese blend
11 containers ricotta cheese, 15 oz (425 G)
1 bag frozen cut spinach
4 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
½ cup grated parmesan cheese, (reserve ¼ cup for serving)
½ teaspoon himalayan sea salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon dry parsley flakes
¾ tablespoon dry oregano
½ tablespoon dry basil
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
1 ½ jars marinara sauce, (can serve with extra) 24 oz (680 G)
¼ teaspoon fresh thyme

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Cook manicotti al dente. Then, rinse pasta with cool water and drain well.
Stir together all the spinach blend ingredients in a separate bowl and set aside.
In the bottom of an ungreased 13x9 (3 qt) glass baking dish, spread 1 ½ cups (390 G) pasta sauce along the bottom.
Spoon spinach mixture into a piping or a gallon-size Ziploc bag. Snip 1 inch (2.5 cm) off the corner - you want it big enough to fill the manicotti and be able to let all the ingredients pass through without clogging the piping hole.
Hold a manicotti shell in your hand and squeeze the filling inside the shell. Let it overflow just a bit on both sides.
Place the filled shells into the bottom of the pan: if you run out of room in your pan, use a separate smaller pan to accommodate the extra.
Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake for about 30 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling.
Uncover dish and top with more sauce. Then, sprinkle remaining ½ cup Italian cheese blend on top of the sauce.
Bake uncovered for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Sprinkle with thyme and add some fresh chives (optional) upon serving. Serve hot.
Enjoy!