Alice's Spinach Manicotti
 
 
Alice's Spinach Manicotti
Recipe By:
Ingredients
  • 8 pkgs. of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
  • 8 c. grated Mozzarella cheese
  • 6 (8-oz.) ricotta cheese
  • 2 (16-oz.) cottage cheese, small curd
  • Salt, black pepper and garlic powder to taste
  • 3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
  • 4 boxes manicotti shells
  • Olive oil
  • Marinara Sauce
  • Herb-Cheese Sauce
Instructions
  1. In a very large stock pot, spray inside with PAM and then fill with hot water. Season with salt and bring to a boil. Also add a little olive oil. This keeps the shells from sticking together and the sides of the pot.
  2. Carefully drop shells into boiling water. You want to undercook the shells so they will keep their shape and not split. About 5 minutes will do. I usually cook extra shells because they do split.
  3. Drain pasta shells and rinse with cold water. Try to separate the shells to keep them from sticking. You can drizzle olive oil to help with this. Put aside until ready to stuff.
  4. Mix spinach, cheeses and seasonings together. Taste for seasoning.
  5. Take shells and start stuffing the spinach mixture in. Be careful not to split shells. It helps if you take a baggie and place stuffing in it and but one corner large enough to let stuffing squeeze through the hole and into the shell.
  6. At this point, you can bag them and freeze them.
  7. When ready to serve, take them out and thaw and place them in a greased rectangular casserole dish. Pour your favorite sauce on top, cover with foil and heat. Then remove foil, add a little more parmesan cheese and heat another 5 minutes.
  8. I usually heat with no sauce and place the Marinara Sauce and the Herb Cheese Sauce on the side and let guests choose the one they like.
Notes
*****This will make about 50 stuffed shells. This is one of those dishes that you just as soon make a large batch while doing it.
To heat use 350 oven and heat only to bubbly not browned.
I also take this stuffing and use the big sea shell shape or take a lasagna noodle and place on one end and roll up. Works nicely.
Recipe by Geaux Ask Alice! at https://geauxaskalice.com/alices-spinach-manicotti-2/