Three Cheese Stuffed Baked Manicotti are filled with ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, and fresh roasted garlic and topped with your favorite marinara sauce. It is a classic Italian dish and a tried and true family favorite.
We are a crazy pasta-loving family. I mean, honestly, who isn’t? Pasta dishes are so versatile and economical, and you can throw a hearty memorable meal together pretty quickly. In a hurry? No problem! Because you can roast the garlic several days in advance and store it in the fridge. Roasted garlic is simply amazing and ends up sweet and mellow. Mix the cheese stuffing for the manicotti up to 24 hours in advance. One thing for sure is that life happens, and somehow, you have to make it all come together. For ease, serve with a simple soup, roasted vegetables like asparagus or broccoli, salad, or French banquettes with soft butter.
What is Manicotti
Manicotti is the Italian word for little sleeves. Manicotti is both the shape of a pasta and an Italian dish where these “little sleeves” are stuffed with a ricotta cheese mixture and sometimes sausage, then smothered in marinara and more cheese and baked. The result is a delicious baked Italian pasta dish that everyone loves.
How do you prepare Roasted Garlic?
Remove any excess skin layers from the garlic bulb and discard them. This could be anywhere from two layers to five or more. Using a sharp knife, cut off the tip on the non-root end. Drizzle or rub with olive oil. Likewise, you could use a basting brush to coat the top with a bit of olive oil. Then, wrap it tightly in aluminum foil and pop it in the oven. Finally, roast for about 35-40 minutes.
How to Make Manicotti
Cut off the garlic bulb’s tip (not the root end), exposing the cloves. Place it in a small piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle with olive oil using your fingers to rub the olive oil all over the cut. Wrap up the sides of the aluminum foil to make a tent and place it on a baking sheet. Bake for 35 minutes.
Then, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the manicotti al dente according to package instructions. Mix the ricotta, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, and at least six cloves of roasted garlic in a medium bowl. Season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper.
In an 8 x 11-inch baking dish, spread 1 cup of marinara sauce. Using a piping bag, stuff each manicotti with the cheese mixture. You can stuff half of the manicotti, turn with the palm of your hand, and stuff the other side. Place it in the dish in a single layer and repeat until all the noodles are filled.
Top with the remaining marinara and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella. Cover and bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the casserole is bubbly. Sprinkle with fresh parsley or fresh basil.
Stuffed Manicotti Recipe Tips
- For optimal taste, please don’t skip the roasted garlic step, as it adds amazing flavor and dimension.
- If you press on the stem end of the baked garlic clove, it will easily squeeze out. Do it right over the cheese mixture. Then, use a fork to mix it and easily break up the roasted garlic.
- Use freshly grated Parmesan. It is a little more costly, but it is well worth every red cent.
- I use a marinara from Costco that I love, but if you have the time to make marinara from scratch, that would probably take this recipe over the top.
- Cook the noodles slightly al dente as they are going to be stuffed with cheese, covered with sauce, and baked.
- To stuff, use a piping bag, fill half of the manicotti noodle, then turn it and fill the other side.
- Likewise, you can stuff the shells by placing the cheese/garlic/egg mixture in a large zipper bag, cutting off one bottom corner (not too big), and piping the cheese mixture into the manicotti noodles.
- For a change of pace, try adding sauteed mushrooms or spinach to the cheese mixture.
- This recipe also works well with jumbo pasta shells.
- For more protein, consider adding browned ground beef, ground turkey, or Italian sausage.
- This dish can be fully prepped up to two days in advance. However, cook the noodles al dente and remove the dish from the refrigerator about 40 minutes in advance of cooking to let it come to room temperature.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. For best results, reheat in the microwave.
Other pasta recipes you will love!
Cheese Manicotti Recipe
A super easy and fun three kinds of cheese and garlic stuffed manicotti that can prepped up to two days in advance for busy families.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 manicotti noodles
- Category: main meal pasta
- Method: stovetop/bake
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 small garlic bulb
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 8 manicotti noodles
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2/3 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 3 cups marinara or tomato sauce
- Chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut off the tip (not the root end) of a garlic bulb, exposing the cloves. Place it in a small piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle with olive oil using your fingers to rub the olive oil all over the cut. Wrap up the sides of the aluminum foil to make a tent and place it on a baking sheet. Bake for 35 minutes.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the manicotti al dente according to package instructions.
- In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, and at least six cloves of the roasted garlic (please see notes). Season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper.
- In an 8 x 11-inch casserole dish, spread 1 cup of marinara sauce. Using a piping bag, stuff each manicotti with the cheese mixture. Place it in the dish in a single layer and repeat until all the noodles are filled.
- Top with the remaining marinara and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the casserole is bubbly. Sprinkle with fresh parsley.
Notes
- For optimal taste, please don’t skip the roasted garlic step, as it adds amazing flavor and dimension.
- If you press on the stem end of the baked garlic clove, it will easily squeeze out. Do it right over the cheese mixture. Then, use a fork to mix it and easily break up the roasted garlic.
- Use freshly grated Parmesan. It is a little more costly, but it is well worth every red cent.
- I use a marinara from Costco that I love, but if you have the time to make marinara from scratch, that would probably take this recipe over the top.
- Cook the noodles slightly al dente as they are going to be stuffed with cheese, covered with sauce, and baked.
- To stuff, use a piping bag, fill half of the manicotti noodle, then turn it and fill the other side.
- Likewise, you can stuff the shells by placing the cheese/garlic/egg mixture in a large zipper bag, cutting off one bottom corner (not too big), and piping the cheese mixture into the manicotti noodles.
- For a change of pace, try adding sauteed mushrooms or spinach to the cheese mixture.
- This recipe also works well with jumbo pasta shells.
- For more protein, consider adding browned ground beef, ground turkey, or Italian sausage.
- This dish can be fully prepped up to two days in advance. However, cook the noodles al dente and remove the dish from the refrigerator about 40 minutes in advance of cooking to let it come to room temperature.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. For best results, reheat in the microwave.
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Janice
Thank you for such an easy to follow recipe. The family enjoyed it and it was fairly easy to make. Next time I am going to add a little sauteed spinach to the ricotta stuffing.
Melissa
Always one of my favorite dishes. A tired and true family favorite I love to serve it with a big Italian chopped salad.
Sue
Mouthwatering! 😋🍝 Three Cheese Stuffed Baked Manicotti is the ultimate comfort food. The combination of ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, and roasted garlic makes my taste buds dance! It’s wonderful to see classic Italian dishes that continue to bring joy to families.
Kelly Anne
So delicious and easy to make. Two thumbs up from the whole family, even the picky eaters.
Karen
omg this looks out of this world!!! I looooove roasted garlic, and love cheese…The combo would make this so delicious!!! Thank you for the recipe.
Tammy
I love manicotti! We made this during the holidays and it’s something I always look forward to…delicious recipe and a perfect meal for the whole family to enjoy!
Maggie
We are a pasta loving family too! I decided to try this recipe out and I am so glad I did. It is a new favourite!
Luna S
Looks and sounds delicious, I think this is a dish my family would love! Thanks for sharing this,I will try this out.
Samantha
I do love pasta but tend to stick to the normal pasta recipes soo will be trying this to create something differrent at meal times
Sandra
Such an amazing meal for weeknights! I’ll definitely make it again soon! Thanks for the recipe!
Laura
Cheese stuffed anything is always going to win, right? This dish is a big bowl of comfort!
angie
oh so yummy I love serving up pasta dishes and you just gave me a new way to do it thank you
Allyson
Literally one of my favorite dinners! Thank you for the recipe!
Erin
Great manicotti recipe. Everyone loved it. Thanks for sharing.
Angela
Love a good manicotti! This was simple to make and so delicious. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine, Angela!
Anjali
This is such a classic recipe and turns out great every time I make it! My family loves this dish too!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Anjali! So glad that you like the manicotti!
Elisa
This cheese stuffed manicott recipe, was so delicious and comforting!! and easy to make. A new family faorite. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Dannii
You had me at cheese stuffed. This was incredible – so comforting.
Chris
This has become one of our family’s go to weekday meals. Super easy and great taste and we can have it pretty well prepped and ready to cook ahead of time which is a lifesaver for our busy evenings.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Chris! So glad that you and your family enjoy the manicotti.
Lisa
Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe
It was delicious!
Courtney
I’m not a fan of noodles and red sauce, of any kind. But my family loves it so I make things like this for them from time to time. This is the first one that I truly enjoyed, and had seconds. The roasted garlic was fantastic. I’ve saved this and will add it to our rotation. Thanks for the great recipe!
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much! So happy that you liked it. I love the addition of the roasted garlic.
Sandra G
You can also cut the manicotti tubes long ways, put cheese mixture on the past, form back into tube, and place seam side down to bake. That’s how I was taught, and it’s super fast and super easy!
Lisalia
This was delicious and so easy to make. Especially loved that you mentioned getting the marinara sauce at costco! It’s my go-to sauce. No added sugar and SO SO yummy. Pure good tomato flavor. And the three cheese combo took it to an entirely new level of delish!!
Sara
This is my kind of comfort food! Easy, hearty and packed with flavor; my whole family loved this dish!
Gina Ceraso
This is my favorite comfort food. Now I just have to remember to double the recipe so we have leftovers!
wilhelmina
This is a favorite for us! We love the cheesy goodness of this classic dish!
Jessica Burgess
This is probably the best pasta I’ve ever had! It’s DELISH! Thank you so much. I was a hero at dinner tonight!
Andrea Thueson
This was a huge hit in our home, my kids gobbled it up and asked for seconds, I will definitely be making this one again.
Katie
What is the brand of Marinara that you buy at Costco? Thanks!
Beth Pierce
Kirkland Organic Marinara
Meagen
This is such a delicious recipe. The whole family loved it and we will definitely be making more soon! Yum!
Sues
We are a crazy pasta-loving family, too! And also a crazy garlic loving family. So these look absolutely heavenly and I can’t wait to make them!
Suzy
This is so good! Not too difficult to make and the kids love it!
kerri
This is one of my favorite comfort meals. I need to make it again, soon!
Lisa
Tried this for dinner last night and it was a hit all around the table! So cheesy and delicious; easily a new favorite!
Kimberly
Such a delicious classic and always a family hit!
Tammy
This was a huge hit at my house! Love that it is so quick and easy to prepare!
Vikki
Incredibly delicious! The family loved this tasty dinner and I look forward to making it again
Sandra
My mother would make a similar dish for our family while growing up, so I wanted to surprise her with your recipe. Two thumbs up! Agree….don’t skip the garlic! This is a keeper.
Noelle
Such a perfect dinner!! My family loved it and it has already been requested again, love it!
Tawnie
We had some manicotti noodles in our pantry and I am so happy I came across this recipe – amazing! Thank you!
Carrie
Manicotti is one of my favorite Italian dishes! Definitely trying this recipe soon. 🙂
Michelle
You had me at “cheese stuffed.” These are heavenly!
Courtney
My family really loved this. The roasted garlic flavour was amazing, and it was super easy to make too. Thank you!
Bintu
Wow, this dish looks absolutely incredible! We eat a lot of pasta in our house so this dish is definitely something I will be trying.
Alison
What a CLASSIC! Thanks for sharing this fab dish, currently craving!
Cathleen
I almost have all of the ingredients!! I am giving this a go as soon as possible. Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Becky Hardin
Oh yes please. This looks so amazing. I am thinking this is going on the dinner list for next week.
Trang
We are a pasta family too! Love especially with the garlics.
Natasha
MMMmmm this is speaking my language! Can’t wait to try this recipe out on the whole familyl.
NatD
I love the refreshing sauce on top with the combo of past and cheese. SO good! thank you!
Krissy Allori
This looks so cheesy and delicious!
Adrianne
Oh yum!! I love that you can do the garlic in advance, that makes it so easy!! What a great recipe, I can’t wait to try it, cheese! Haha, I wrote cheese instead of cheers, but it makes sense right!!
Tisha
I haven’t had manicotti in forever! I need to make this soon!
Sally
Who needs another pasta dish? ME!!! Love pasta in all forms (along with cheese, butter, and bacon), and this looks like a perfect combo for me and my family.
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much Sally! Enjoy!
natalie
Looks so delicious and comforting! I love manicotti!
Laura
Oh this one looks like our new favourite! You had me at ‘stuffed with cheese’… 😀
Beth Pierce
Thanks Laura! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Krista
I can practically smell the roasted garlic from that picture alone! Looks fantastic!
Shannon Graham
I was drooling as I scrolled past the photos. What a delicious dinner idea!
Catalina
These look heavenly! Perfect for our family dinners!
Erin
This is seriously making me hungry! This looks totally awesome!
Lora
Total comfort in every bite! This is just what we need on another crazy busy weekend!
Allison
A new go-to family dinner. Delish! Thanks for sharing.
Jade Manning
This looks like a winner dinner to me, my family would be licking their plates clean!!