Description
A delicious stuffed manicotti recipe filled with ricotta, broccoli, and topped with a rich tomato sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 4–6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 14 ounces can diced tomatoes, with juices (or crushed or whole)
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup, honey or sugar
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning (or thyme or oregano)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 12 ounces broccoli florets (about 5–6 cups raw)
- 15 ounces whole milk ricotta (or make the vegan tofu ricotta)
- 1 egg (optional)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (plus more for garnish)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/8–1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 cup shredded romano or parmesan (or vegan parm)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella (or vegan mozzarella)
- 12 uncooked manicotti shells (7 ounces)
- 2 burrata balls – optional, but delicious
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Steam the broccoli until just barely tender, then let cool.
- In a sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat and sauté onion for 3-4 minutes, stirring. Add garlic, lower the heat to medium, and sauté until golden and tender, about 4-5 minutes.
- Place half of the sautéed onions/garlic mixture in a blender for the sauce and the other half in a medium bowl for the filling.
- Add the canned tomatoes (and their juices) to the blender, along with water, salt, maple syrup, Italian seasoning, and olive oil. Blend until smooth and set aside.
- Chop up the steamed broccoli and add it to the bowl with the sautéed onions and garlic. Add the ricotta, egg, basil, lemon zest, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and stir with a fork. Add the cheeses.
- Place the broccoli filling in a large piping bag or large zip lock bag, cutting off the corner to fit inside the manicotti.
- Coat the bottom and sides of a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with olive oil. Pour half the tomato sauce to cover the bottom (about 1 3/4 cups).
- Using the piping bag, generously fill 12 uncooked, dry manicotti shells and nestle them in the sauce. Dot the edges of the manicotti with the extra filling and cover with the remaining sauce.
- Top with optional Burrata Cheese and cover tightly with foil.
- Bake for 50 minutes at 400F. Uncover, test that manicotti is tender with a sharp knife, then bake for 10 more minutes or until beautifully golden.
- Garnish with basil ribbons before serving.
Notes
- If going the vegan route, ensure all cheeses used are vegan.
- For a slightly different flavor, consider adding some red pepper flakes to the filling for a bit of heat.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 manicotti shells
- Calories: 600
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 30g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 60g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 75mg