Three Cheese Manicotti with Italian Sausage Marinara
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Three Cheese Manicotti with Italian Sausage Marinara is the BEST manicotti recipe out there! It’s saucy, cheesy and downright delicious! Manicotti shells are stuffed with ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan cheese, then covered in a delicious Italian sausage and red wine marinara sauce.
Serve this baked manicotti recipe with Cheesy Garlic Bread Nachos and Crispy Eggplant Caprese Salad for one seriously scrumptious Italian feast!
I am TOTALLY obsessed with this manicotti recipe! It’s full of my favorite things, cheesy filled pasta, flavorful Italian sausage and rich, hearty marinara sauce. It was also the first dish I ever made for my husband Kurt and is still his most requested recipe on the blog!
In this dish, I combined tomatoes with Italian sausage and Italian seasoning to make a hearty, flavorful sauce for the manicotti. Speaking of the manicotti, it’s stuffed FULL of delicious cheeses! This dish is one cheesy, flavorful good time!
While it does take a little time to prep, you can easily double the recipe and freeze one dish for later. I always do this because it’s Kurt’s favorite recipe! And anytime that I can save time on a future dinner, I’m totally in!
Table of contents
What is manicotti?
Manicotti literally means “little sleeve”. This Italian American dish consists of “little sleeves” of tube-shaped pasta filled with cheese. The pasta can also be filled with meats, like ground beef or Italian sausage. The dish is traditionally topped with sauce and baked in the oven.
Ingredients you’ll need
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Garlic cloves
- Italian sausage – you’ll want to purchase loose or ground sausage. The sausage can be mild or hot, depending on whether you want to add a little spice to the sauce.
- Red wine – I recommend a cabernet sauvignon or a pinot noir for this recipe. Both will pair well with the meat sauce.
- Tomato paste
- Canned petite diced tomatoes
- Canned tomato sauce
- Italian seasoning – I highly recommend using my homemade seasoning recipe (which is linked to the left). It’s easy to mix up in 5 minutes and the flavor is delicious in this sauce! You can also purchase pre-made Italian seasoning in the spice aisle at the grocery store.
- Ricotta cheese
- Mozzarella cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- Fresh basil
- Dried parsley
- Dried oregano
- Manicotti shells – a traditional 8 ounce box of manicotti will come with 14 manicotti shells, which is exactly what you need for this recipe! If you can’t find manicotti shells, large pasta shells would be the best substitute, that’s easy to find at most grocery stores.
Step by step instructions
- Prepare the marinara sauce.
- Pour olive oil into a large skillet on the stove over medium high heat.
- Add diced onions, cook 3-4 minutes, add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Add loose Italian sausage and cook through.
- Quick Tip! This recipe is easily made vegetarian by omitting the sausage in the marinara sauce.
- Once the sausage is cooked, add red wine, tomato paste, diced tomatoes and tomato sauce to the pan.
- Season with Italian seasoning.
- Reduce to low, cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes.
- Prepare the three cheese manicotti.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil.
- Add the manicotti noodles to the water and cook for 4-5 minutes, drain, then set aside.
- Quick Tip! After cooking and draining, separate the pasta shells and place them in a single layer on a cutting board to cool. This will prevent them from sticking together and potentially tearing apart when filling them.
- In a large bowl, combine ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. Add basil, parsley and oregano.
- Fill the manicotti shells with the cheese mixture.
- Quick Tip! This can be done by using a small spoon and your fingers to stuff the cheese into the shells. It can also be done by placing the cheese mixture in a large plastic bag. Cut the corner of the bag and pipe the cheese into the shells.
- Put the dish together.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Pour half of the Italian Sausage Marinara in a 9 inch x 13 inch baking dish.
- Place the stuffed manicotti shells in a single layer over the marinara sauce.
- Pour the remaining sauce over the manicotti.
- Top with shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Place in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
- Do you cook manicotti shells before stuffing them? Yes, manicotti shells should be cooked in boiling water until al dente before stuffing them. Be sure not to overcook the pasta shells or they will easily tear while filling.
- How long do leftovers last in the refrigerator? Leftover manicotti can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To reheat, place back in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes. Or microwave the leftovers in a microwave-safe dish for 2-3 minutes.
- Can you freeze the leftovers? Yes. As I mentioned before, I like to make an extra dish of manicotti and freeze it for later. Extra or leftover manicotti will last in the freezer for up to 6 months. Be sure to store it in an airtight container so that it does not get freezer-burn.
- How to do you cook frozen manicotti? I recommend defrosting the dish in the refrigerator for 24 hours. You can then bake the dish at 350°F for 25 – 30 minutes.
- Can you make the manicotti in advance? Yes, you can assemble the entire manicotti up to 24 hours in advance and store it in the refrigerator, tightly covered with aluminum foil. You can also prepare the sauce and filling in advance and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
How to make the recipe vegetarian
This manicotti recipe is easy to make vegetarian. Simply omit the Italian sausage in the marinara sauce. Veggies, such as diced zucchini, diced bell pepper or finely chopped cauliflower can be used in place of the sausage.
Be sure to use vegetarian parmesan-style cheese instead of traditional parmesan cheese in the three-cheese filling.
What to serve with it
From drinks, to sides, to appetizers, create an epic dinner by pairing this manicotti with any of these delicious recipes!
- Garlic Parmesan Broccolini – this side dish can roast in the oven with the manicotti for an easy addition to your meal!
- Tomato Basil Bruschetta – my favorite Italian appetizer can be served before the meal or along with the pasta.
- Lemon Berry Prosecco Sangria – this refreshing, sparkly beverage pairs perfectly with this rich, Italian meal.
- Rosemary Focaccia Bread – because you gotta have something delicious to dip up that extra marinara sauce with!
- Italian 5 Layer Dip – another fun Italian appetizer that can be served with the pasta or before dinner!
More pasta recipes to try
- Pasta Boscaiola
- Vegetarian Lasagna
- Slow Cooker Beef Ragu
- Easy Bolognese Sauce
- Caprese Pasta
- Buffalo Chicken Cheesy Pasta
Three Cheese Manicotti with Italian Sausage Marinara
Ingredients
Italian Sausage Marinara
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup onions, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 lb Italian Sausage, loose or ground
- ½ cup red wine
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 28 oz can petite diced tomatoes
- 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 2 tbsp Italian Seasoning, click link for homemade recipe
Three Cheese Manicotti
- 30 oz ricotta cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
- ½ tsp dried parsley
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 14 manicotti shells, uncooked
Instructions
Italian Sausage Marinara
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, add the diced onions, cook 3-4 minutes then add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Add the sausage and cook through.
- Add the red wine, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and Italian seasoning.
- Reduce to low, cover and simmer 20-30 minutes.
Three Cheese Manicotti
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil.
- Add the manicotti shells and cook 4-5 minutes, drain, then set aside in an even layer on a cutting board to cool.
- In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, fresh basil, parsley and oregano.
- Place this mixture in a piping bag, or ziploc bag with a cut corner.
- Pipe the cheese mixture into the manicotti shells.
- Pour half of the Italian Sausage Marinara in a 9 inch x 13 inch baking dish.
- Place the filled manicotti shells in a single layer on top of the sauce.
- Pour the remaining sauce over the shells.
- Top with the remaining cup of mozzarella cheese.
- Place in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Notes
- Freezing Manicotti: before baking this manicotti recipe, it can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 6 months. To defrost the manicotti, place it in the refrigerator for 24 hours, then bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes.
- Vegetarian Manicotti: to make this recipe vegetarian, omit the sausage from the marinara sauce. Two cups of diced zucchini or finely chopped cauliflower can be added in it’s place, if desired. Also be sure to use vegetarian parmesan-style cheese instead of traditional parmesan in the cheese filling.
Nutrition Facts
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7 Comments on “Three Cheese Manicotti with Italian Sausage Marinara”
I use Jovial gluten free manicotti noodles. I always have extra cheese mixture due to the noodles being smaller. No problem… I can use them to fill other noodles. This is a tasty recipe. Thanks for sharing!
This was really good! Some of my manicotti noodles did kind of fall apart, even though I only boiled them 4 or 5 minutes. But that wasn’t a big deal. I put the filling in and just laid the broken part over top. Because I had extra time, I let the sauce simmer on the stove quite a bit longer, just to get the flavors to meld together better.
Although it didn’t look as pretty, I thought it was just as good as getting something takeout or in a sit down restaurant.
I also used ground turkey with extra Italian seasoning.
I added mushrooms and bell pepper. I also used Kroger brands instead of hunts. I used Kroger cheese as well and added an egg to the cheese mixture.
Tastes great! Came together easily! Only problem is there was only enough filling for 7 1/2 manicotti. I used Barilla manicotti. I recommend doubling the filling. Better to have extra than not enough. Thanks you! I will be adding this to my regular rotation of recipes
Eeek I’m so sorry you ran out of filling Brian, there’s nothing worse than not having enough cheese in a recipe (or in life, haha!) I’ll definitely note that on the recipe, but I’m glad you enjoyed the dish! It’s one of our favorites at my house 🙂
Omg, yummmmmmm…. I’ll be right over to sample the goods! 😉