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Our family loves all things pasta including Manicotti! For a healthier version at home, I make this Light and Easy Manicotti Recipe that we all enjoy! Manicotti is a tubular-shaped pasta that is pre-boiled to soften the noodles. Then, I add a kid-friendly filling of low-fat cheeses, spinach, and Italian herbs into the pasta. Finally, bake this manicotti in a hot oven with some light pasta sauce. Seriously, that’s it! I hope your family loves this Light and Easy Manicotti Recipe as much as mine does.
Recipes Similar to Light and Easy Manicotti Recipe:
Macaroni Salad Classic Light Recipe
Chicken Alfredo Casserole with Bacon
Healthy Alfredo Sauce Made with Cauliflower
How Healthy Is Manicotti?
You can make all types of manicotti recipes, but this recipe is more traditional with a cheesy spinach filling and a light tomato sauce. The filling is a healthy mix of Parmesan cheese, low-fat ricotta cheese, low-fat mozzarella cheese, and lots of green spinach. Spinach is a great vegetable to eat if you want glowing skin, a healthy digestive system, and protection against illness. In addition, any dark leafy green would work in this dish and provide optimal nutrition for your family.
Italian night does not have to be heavy with high-calorie pasta dishes! For more of my favorite homemade Italian meals, try my Italian Beef Recipe with Peppers.
Ingredients in This Light and Easy Manicotti Recipe
- light pasta sauce
- manicotti noodles
- fat-free ricotta cheese
- frozen spinach
- Parmesan cheese
- egg white
- garlic powder
- dried basil
- dried oregano
- reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
How to Make Light and Easy Manicotti
Begin by preheating the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Pour ½ cup of the sauce on the bottom of the dish and set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the manicotti according to package directions to al dente.
After that, in a medium mixing bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese, spinach, Parmesan cheese, egg white, garlic powder, dried basil, and dried oregano.
Next, scoop the cheese mixture into a gallon-sized resealable bag and cut the tip off the corner to easily fill the manicotti noodles.
Gently fill each manicotti noodle evenly with the cheese mixture. This is easily done by filling one end of each manicotti halfway, then filling the other end. Line them in the prepared baking dish.
Cover the filled manicotti with the remaining 1 cup of pasta sauce. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Finally, and most importantly, uncover and top with the mozzarella cheese, then bake until the cheese is melted, an additional 5 minutes.
Light and Easy Manicotti Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1.2 cups light pasta sauce
- 12 manicotti noodles, dry
- 1 3/4 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
- 1 10-oz. package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
- 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 egg white
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Pour ½ cup of the sauce on the bottom of the dish and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the manicotti according to package directions to al dente.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese, spinach, Parmesan cheese, egg white, garlic powder, dried basil, and dried oregano.
- Scoop the cheese mixture into a gallon-sized resealable bag and cut the tip off the corner to easily fill the manicotti noodles.
- Gently fill each manicotti noodle evenly with the cheese mixture. This is easily done by filling one end of each manicotti halfway, then filling the other end. Line them in the prepared baking dish.
- Cover the filled manicotti with the remaining 1 cup of pasta sauce. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
- Uncover and top with the mozzarella cheese, then bake until the cheese is melted, an additional 5 minutes.
Notes
did you make this recipe?
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