Beef and Cheese Manicotti

Beefy, ultra-cheesy stuffed pasta, draped with zesty marinara and buttery mozzarella. So much flavor, so much comfort, and so much to love.

There's even more to love about this dish (beyond flavor); it's super easy to make! The beef mixture is one-skillet easy, and it comes together while the pasta cooks. And, since there's no ricotta in the filling, it's much easier to stuff the shells!

That's right, I said there's no ricotta in the filling. I realize ricotta is traditional, but I left it out for two reasons. First, we're not huge fans of ricotta in my house (in sweet baked goods, yes; in savory pasta dishes, no). And second, I think ricotta makes the filling mushy. I wanted a hearty, beefy filling where you actually grasped that you were eating seasoned ground beef. Like cheeseburger beef... but stuffed into shells. There's mozzarella and parmesan in the filling too, so it's still buttery, cheesy and creamy; just not mushy.

Here's a tip for stress-free stuffing of the shells - use your hands! Stuff the beef mixture into the shells with your fingers instead of a spoon and you'll have better control over the process. I find that using a spoon can tear the pasta; but that's not the case when you use your gentle hands! Even if you tear the shells, it's not the end of the world; you can cover any and all mistakes with sauce and cheese.

If you want to prep ahead, assemble the dish as directed and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking. Remove the dish from the fridge 30 minutes before baking.

Beef and Cheese Manicotti

8-ounce package manicotti (14 shells)
1 1/4 pounds lean ground beef
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, divided
2 cups marinara sauce of choice
Fresh parsley leaves for serving

Cook the manicotti according to the package directions. Use a slotted spoon to remove the pasta from the water and transfer the shells to a large piece of foil or wax paper to cool (spread them out so they don't stick together).
Meanwhile, brown the beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat as it cooks. If necessary, drain away any fat. Add the oregano,  basil, onion powder, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and stir to coat. Add 1 1/2 cups of the mozzarella and 1/4 cup of the parmesan and stir until the cheese melts. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Spoon 1 cup of the marinara sauce into a baking dish and spread out to cover the surface. Fill the manicotti with the meat mixture and arrange the stuffed shells in the baking dish, in a single layer. Spoon the remaining sauce over top. Top with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.
Bake uncovered until the sauce bubbles and the cheese on top is golden, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes, top with parsley and serve.
Serves 4-6