Manicotti Stuffed with Spinach and Mushrooms

My lasagna-loving daughter, Madeleine, thought this recipe was dreamy, although she did prefer it the second time I made it without mushrooms. Both ways are pretty darn tasty and this dish is fun to make with your kids.

Manicotti Stuffed with Spinach and Mushrooms

1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 onion, chopped 
12 ounces mushrooms, chopped
12 ounce fresh spinach, chopped
1 15 ounce container ricotta cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup mozarella cheese
1 1/2 jars marinara sauce
1 8ounce box manicotti shells

Saute onion in saucepan over medium until soft, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until soft, 5 more minutes, then add garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Toss chopped spinach on top of mushroom/onion mixture and stir until wilted. Let cool. 

Add ricotta and Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to spinach/mushroom/onions and mix until combined. Scoop the mixture into a gallon sized plastic bag and cut the tip off the corner. Pipe filling into uncooked manicotti shells. 

Pour 3/4 jar of marinara sauce in casserole dish and place stuffed manicotti on top. Pour rest of sauce on top of manicotti and sprinkle with mozarella cheese.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 400° for 40-45 minutes, or until bubbling. Serve with a green salad or broccoli and garlic bread. Enjoy!


I made this another time with cooked manicotti shells and eliminated the mushrooms. You don't have to use as much sauce on top as you do with the uncooked shells and the finished dish is a little prettier, but the cooked shells are not as easy to stuff!

Stuffed Manicotti made with pre-cooked shells