Cheese Manicotti (or Cheese Cannelloni)

 

Cheese Manicotti (or Cheese Cannelloni)

Serves 4-6

This classic baked pasta dish is stuffed with a creamy cheese filling, covered with tomato sauce, and baked until bubbly and golden. It's perfect for beginners because the filling is simple and the oven does most of the work.

Ingredients

For the Pasta

• Manicotti shells or cannelloni tubes, 250 g

For the Cheese Filling

• Ricotta cheese, 500 g
• Mozzarella cheese, grated, 200 g
• Parmesan cheese, grated, 60 g
• Eggs, 2 large (100 g)
• Fresh parsley, finely chopped, 15 g
• Salt, 5 g
• Black pepper, 2 g

For the Sauce

• Tomato passata or crushed tomatoes, 700 g
• Olive oil, 15 g
• Garlic, finely minced, 10 g
• Herbs (basil & oregano)
• Salt, 5 g
• Sugar, 5 g (optional, if tomatoes are acidic)

For Topping

• Mozzarella cheese, grated, 150 g
• Parmesan cheese, grated, 30 g

Method

1. Prepare the Sauce

• Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
• Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
• Add the passata, salt, pepper, herbs and sugar.
• Simmer gently for 15 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and set aside.

2. Prepare the Cheese Filling

• In a large bowl combine: 
• Ricotta
• 200 g mozzarella
• 60 g Parmesan
• Eggs
• Parsley
• Salt
• Pepper
• Mix until smooth and evenly combined.

3. Cook the Pasta

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Cook the manicotti shells according to the package instructions until just tender.
• Drain and cool under cold running water.

If using dry cannelloni tubes that are oven-ready, you can skip this step.

4. Fill the Pasta

• Transfer the cheese mixture to a piping bag or a large zip-top bag with one corner cut off.
• Carefully fill each manicotti or cannelloni tube with the cheese mixture.

5. Assemble

• Spread about 200 g of tomato sauce on the bottom of a baking dish.
• Arrange the filled pasta in a single layer.
• Pour the remaining sauce over the pasta.
• Sprinkle with: 
• 150 g mozzarella
• 30 g Parmesan

6. Bake

• Cover the dish with foil.
• Bake at 180°C for 25 minutes.
• Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes until golden and bubbling.

7. Rest and Serve

Let the manicotti rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Beginner Tips

Use a piping bag. Filling the pasta is much easier and less messy than using a spoon.

Don't overcook the pasta. Slightly firm pasta is easier to fill without tearing.

Cover with enough sauce. The pasta should be well covered to prevent it drying out while baking.

Let it rest before serving. This helps the cheese filling set and makes slicing easier.

Make ahead. Assemble everything up to one day in advance, refrigerate, then bake when needed.