This baked manicotti is stuffed with a three-cheese blend and covered with a delicious Italian sausage tomato sauce. It is easy to make with a combination of fresh and pantry ingredients giving the pasta a homemade taste in a fraction of the time.
Like this manicotti with Italian sausage, this meatball pasta bake and easy lasagna casserole are crowd-pleasers that are simple to make using affordable ingredients.
Frequently asked questions
There is no need to cook the manicotti shells before stuffing. Stuffing them will be much easier and they will cook while baking.
Great side dishes include homemade garlic bread, a side salad, fried zucchini, and marinated tomatoes.
The best way to stuff the shells is to use a large piping bag. Fill it with the cheese mixture and snip piece off the end. Make the opening large enough to dispense the filling and small enough so it fits in the pasta tube.
Ingredients
- Meat – Use mild or hot Italian sausage.
- Vegetables – Onions and garlic give the sauce homemade taste without a lot of work.
- Pantry – Convenience ingredients, canned diced tomatoes and jarred pasta sauce help make the sauce quickly. Use a meatless sauce since we are adding the sausage.
- Pasta – Manicotti is a large, tube shape pasta that should be available at most larger supermarkets. Look for it where you would find lasagna sheets.
- Seasoning – using Italian seasoning and black pepper is an effortless way to enhance the jarred pasta sauce.
- Dairy/refrigerated – The pasta tubes are stuffed with a three-cheese mix of ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese. We also need an egg to bind the mixture.
- Oil – We use olive oil to sauté the onions and garlic. Use your favorite oil if it is suitable for sautéing.
- Garnish – Fresh chopped parsley, optional
See recipe card for quantities
Recipe tips
- Do not add salt to the sauce until the end. Taste it then decide if it is needed because the sausage, pasta sauce, and canned tomatoes all contain salt already.
- If you are using sausage links use a sharp knife tip and run it along the length of the sausage. Remove the casing then tear it into small pieces to make it easier to break up once it hits the skillet.
- Make this recipe without meat by following the same instructions leaving out the sausage. After sautéing the onions and garlic add the sauce and continue with the recipe.
Instructions
Cook the onions in olive oil for 3-4 minutes over medium heat.
Add the garlic and Italian seasoning and cook 1 minute, stir frequently.
Add the sausage to the skillet and raise the heat to medium-high. Stir the sausage while breaking up large pieces.
Cook the sausage for approximately 5 minutes until browned, stir frequently.
Add the pasta sauce and diced tomatoes to the sausage and stir.
Simmer the sauce for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Taste the tomato sauce and add salt, if needed. As a reference we did not add extra salt to ours.
Prepare the remaining ingredients while the sauce cooks. Leave the meat sauce on low if you are still getting everything ready.
Make the cheese mixture
Add the ricotta cheese, 2 cups mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, egg, parsley, and black pepper to a large bowl.
Stir well to combine. Refrigerate until you are ready to stuff the pasta tubes.
Build the casserole
Preheat the oven 350°F
Add about ⅔ of the meat sauce to a baking dish (2.5-quart 8x12 inch dish).
Work with one tube at a time and fill it with the three-cheese mixture.
Place it in the baking dish.
Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Arrange them so they fit snugly.
Spoon the remaining sauce over the stuffed manicotti.
Top with the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.
Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil and bake for 35-45 minutes or until bubbly around the edges. Uncover the dish and cook another 5 minutes.
Garnish with fresh chopped parsley, if desired. Let the baked manicotti rest for 15-20 minutes before serving.
Equipment
- Baking dish that is at about 2.5-quart 8x12 inch
- Aluminum foil
- Large piping bag or large zip top bag
Serving and storing
Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve with a side salad, if desired.
Store leftover pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
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📖 Recipe
Baked Manicotti
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Small Onion finely diced
- 3-5 Garlic Cloves minced
- ½ teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 1 pound Mild Italian Sausage casings removed and torn into pieces or use bulk sausage
- 1 (24 ounce) Jar Pasta Sauce meatless (use your favorite brand and variety)
- 1 (14 ounce) can Diced Tomatoes (we use petite dice)
- 8 ounces Manicotti Pasta uncooked
- 15-16 ounces Ricotta Cheese
- 3 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese divided (2 cups for the filling and 1 cup to top the pasta)
- ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese grated or shredded (plus extra for serving, if desired)
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 tablespoon Chopped Parsley plus extra for garnish
Instructions
Cook the sauce
- Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet or pot over medium heat. Add the onions, cook 3-4 minutes, until they start to soften and become translucent. Stir them frequently so they don’t burn.
- Add the garlic and Italian seasoning and cook 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Next, add the sausage to the skillet and raise the heat to medium-high. Stir the sausage while breaking up any large pieces with a wooden spoon or a spatula. Cook for approximately 5 minutes until browned.
- Add the pasta sauce and diced tomatoes to the sausage and stir well. Bring the sauce to a simmer, lower heat to medium-low and cover. Cook the sauce for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Keep the sauce at a simmer. If it starts boiling too vigorously, lower the heat a little bit.
- Taste the tomato sauce and add salt, if needed. As a reference we did not add extra salt to ours.
- Prepare the remaining ingredients while the sauce cooks. Leave the meat sauce on low if you are still getting everything ready.
Make the cheese mixture
- Add the ricotta cheese, 2 cups mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, egg, parsley, and black pepper to a large bowl. Stir well to combine. Refrigerate until you are ready to stuff the pasta.
- Preheat the oven 350°F
Build the dish
- Add about ⅔ of the meat sauce to a baking dish (2.5-quart 8x12 inch dish).
- Stuff the pasta with the cheese mixture. Work with one tube at a time and fill it with the ricotta mixture. Place it in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Arrange them so that they fit snugly.
- Spoon the remaining sauce over the stuffed manicotti.
- Top with the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.
Bake
- Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil and bake for 35-45 minutes or until bubbly around the edges. Uncover the dish and cook another 5 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh chopped parsley, if desired. Let it rest for 15-20 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information above is computer generated and is only an estimate. There is no guarantee that it is accurate. This data is provided as a courtesy for informational purposes only.
Silvia Vital
Delicious !!
Elizabeth
Thanks, happy to hear it!