Make homemade cheese manicotti for a pasta dinner! Tubes of al dente pasta are filled with a three cheese and kale mixture and surrounded by vodka (or marinara) sauce. It's a hearty, comforting, meatless meal the entire family will love.
Preheat oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9x13 pan. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the manicotti shells for 2-3 minutes under the package instructions. Drain and let cool.
10 manicotti shells*
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add shallot and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add garlic and kale, cooking for an additional 2-3 minutes until kale is wilted. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, ⅔ cup shallot, 4 cloves garlic, 2 cups kale
Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine the ricotta and softened cream cheese. I recommend cubing the cream cheese to make it easier to incorporate.
Stir in the fresh parsley, basil, 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Once it's slightly cooled, stir the kale mixture into the cheeses, too. Taste test and adjust salt or spice levels as needed. Then, stir in the whisked egg until incorporated.
1/3 cup fresh parsley, 1/3 cup fresh basil, 1 ½ cups low-moisture shredded mozzarella, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, 1 egg
Optional: transfer cheese filling to a piping bag without a tip to easily fill the shells.
Spread 1 cup of the pasta sauce along the bottom of the prepared 9x13 pan. Take a manicotti shell and fill with the cheese filling. Place the filled shell in the pan and continue filling all 10 shells.
24 ounces vodka sauce
Spread the remaining sauce on top of the manicotti shells. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, and bake for about 20 minutes until bubbly and the cheese is slightly golden brown and melted.
Serve with additional herbs or parmesan cheese as a garnish, and enjoy!
Notes
*Shells: Boil a few extra manicotti shells in case some break; it's better to have more if you end up with extra filling too.