This homemade Manicotti pasta recipe is cheese-baked perfection and easy to make with a flavorful filling packed with cheese, chicken, and spinach. The yummy manicotti pasta shells have an easy-to-make meat filling that's cheesy chicken, spinach deliciousness. These are great for feeding a crowd or a cozy night in.
Why This Recipe is the Best
Better than Olive Garden, Chicken and Spinach Manicotti is the kind of cozy, family-style pasta bake that tastes like it simmered all day but comes together with simple, reliable ingredients. The creamy ricotta filling, tender shredded chicken, and fresh spinach melt together under a blanket of bubbling marinara and cheese, making every bite rich, comforting, and completely satisfying. It's a no-fuss, crowd-pleasing dinner that always feels homemade, hearty, and perfect for busy nights or Sunday gatherings.
For more copycat Olive Garden meals, try Stuffed Zita Fritta, Five Cheese Marinara, and Vodka Pasta.
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Key Ingredients
Below is a list of ingredients needed for this recipe. Follow our tips on each ingredient for best results.
- Manicotti pasta shells- No need to boil the pasta shells ahead of time.
- Shredded chicken - You can use cooked and shredded chicken or leftover chicken from a rotisserie.
- Marinara sauce - Use your favorite here. Sometimes I use homemade, sometimes I use store-bought. We love Rao's homemade, but any will work.
- Cheeses- We tested this recipe many times to make sure we had the perfect balance of cheeses.
- cream cheese, mozzarella, parmesan, and ricotta
- Frozen spinach, thawed with the water squeezed out -We found while testing this recipe that if the water isn't properly squeezed out, it can make the filling too wet, and it doesn't work very well.
- Seasonings (can substitute Italian seasoning if desired)
- parsley, oregano, basil, and garlic, salt, and pepper - We tested this recipe to find the perfect balance of spices to create the best flavor. This is what sets this recipe apart from others and what makes it so delicious!
- Red pepper flakes (optional) - If you like spicy things, our favorite way to eat these is to add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the filling. It's a tiny pop of heat that accentuates all the other flavors.
How to Make Stuffed Manicotti
Use these process shots to help get the results you want. The pictures can help with texture and be a visual guide for the best results.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Wring out thawed spinach using a paper towel. In a large bowl, put in the parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, cream cheese and ricotta cheese, eggs, spinach, and spices. Stir with a spatula to combine. Stir in the chicken.
- Place the mixture in a gallon-size Ziploc bag and snip a corner off. I've found that around a ½" diameter hole works well for me. Too small, and it comes out too slowly; too big, and it gets messy.
- Pour 2 cups of marinara sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 or equivalent-sized pan. Place the hole of the bag inside one end of the manicotti and fill with the cheese mixture to the end. If it didn't fill the other end, flip it around a fill the other side using the same method.
- Place the manicotti into the pan on top of the sauce and repeat until all the manicotti shells are full. Top with an additional 2 cups of marinara sauce. Sprinkle mozzarella and parmesan cheese on top, to taste. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake at 350°F covered for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes, or until cheese has reached desired meltiness/ crispness.
Hint: As I've made this, I've discovered that wringing out all the water from the spinach makes a big difference. I usually squeeze out what I can by hand, then roll it in a paper towel and wring it tightly until it stops leaking water. After doing this, the spinach will be clumped together. Break it up before adding it in.
Top Tips
The best and easiest way to fill manicotti shells is to scoop the filling into a piping bag, insert the corner into the pasta, and squeeze the filling out into the shell, filling the other end if necessary. If you don't have a piping bag, simply stick it in a Ziploc bag and snip off the corner. The hole should be around ½-5/8" in diameter. This allows the filling to come out easily, but also enables you to stick the bag inside the tube.
Make sure to squeeze all the water you can out of the spinach. It makes a big difference in how easy the filling is to manage.
Recipe
Best Manicotti Recipe EVER
Ingredients
- 1 package manicotti shells 12-14, uncooked
- 4 ½ cups marinara sauce
- 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese plus more to put on top
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese plus more to put on top
- 4 ounce cream cheese
- 1 15 ounce tub ricotta cheese
- 2 eggs
- 10 ounce frozen spinach thaw, drain, and squeeze the water out
- 8 ounce shredded chicken
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon basil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Wring out all the water from the spinach. I usually squeeze out what I can by hand, then roll it in a paper towel and wring it tightly until it stops leaking water. After doing this, the spinach will be clumped together. Break it up before adding it in.
- Combine all of the cheeses, eggs, spinach, shredded chicken and spices into a large bowl and mix well with a spatula.
- Place the mixture in a gallon size Ziploc bag and snip a corner off. I've found that around a ½" diameter hole works well for me.
- Pour 2 cups marinara sauce at the bottom of a 9x13 or equivalent sized pan.
- Place the hole inside one end of the uncooked manicotti pasta shell and fill with the cheese mixture to the end. If it didn't fill the other end, flip it around and fill the other side. There is plenty of filling, so don't be scant!
- Place the manicotti into the pan and repeat until all the manicotti pasta shells are full.
- Top with an additional 2 ½ cups marinara sauce.
- Top with mozzarella and parmesan to taste (we like ours cheesy).
- Cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 covered for 45 minutes, then 15 minutes uncovered or until cheese reaches desired doneness.
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Notes
Nutrition
Substitutions and Variations
We love switching things up when we're in the kitchen. Try any of these variations for something a little different.
- Italian Sausage- switch the shredded chicken for ½ pound cooked Italian Sausage.
- Alfredo- follow all the directions above, except use your favorite Alfredo sauce instead of marinara sauce.
- Without Meat- simply omit the chicken; no other alterations necessary
- Extra Easy- skip the spices (it will be less flavorful but still delicious) and make as otherwise directed
- Spicy- add an extra 1 ¼ teaspoons (for 1 ½ teaspoons total) of chili pepper flakes
- Manicotti Stuffed Jumbo Shells- boil the shells about 7 minutes, until they are flexible, but not longer or they are too difficult to work with! Drain the shells and complete everything else as normal.
- Lighter- This is definitely a comfort meal, and sometimes I crave manicotti but want it to be a little lighter. Double the meat, double the spinach, and reduce all cheeses by ⅓.
- Seafood- omit the chicken and use x-small shrimp instead. Remove the tails and cut in half crosswise.
How to Make Manicotti Ahead and Store
The filling stores in the freezer beautifully. When I make this, I often make a double batch of the filling and store half of it in the freezer to use in the future. Thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours to use the filling this way.
These also make a great freezer meal: Make the whole thing, other for baking it. Cover with foil and store in the freezer until ready to use. Add an additional 30 minutes of covered baking time.
Leftovers: Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
What I Love About This Recipe
I love how warm and cozy it is, biting into a noodle stuffed with cheese, spinach, spices, and chicken, covered in marinara sauce and cheese. I love that it looks fancy, but it's pretty quick and easy to make. I love that this is a no-boil recipe to reduce steps. I love that it's a meal I can make and not listen to anyone complain- everyone enjoys it!
Make a delicious filling of cheeses, spinach, and chicken. Pour marinara sauce on the bottom of your pan, fill the manicotti pasta, and place on top. Top with more marinara and parmesan cheese. Bake covered for 45 minutes, then 15 minutes uncovered.
Bake covered with aluminum foil for 45 minutes, then 15 minutes uncovered, or until cheese reaches desired meltiness.
Place filling in a large ziploc bag. Cut a hole in one corner, ½u0022 in diameter. Place the bag next to the hole of the uncooked manicotti shell, then squeeze filling into it. If it doesn't go all the way to the other end, repeat on the other end.
They are a type of large pasta tube, usually ridged. Traditionally filled with ricotta cheese and spinach, it makes a great entree.
Traditional manicotti is stuffed with cheeses and seasonings. They may or may not contain meat. Popular meats are veal, sausage, and chicken.
Jacob Winegardner says
This was a really good recipe. I've made stuffed manicotti before and it's always been a little blah. This one was really really falvorful and tasty
Zach says
I turned it into a lasagna because I couldn't find manicotti or jumbo shells, but it was SOOOO good. Absolutely amazing. This will definitely be a stable in my house.
Dannii says
We can never have too many pasta recipes in our house and everyone loved these stuffed manicotti pasta shells. So much flavour and really filling too.
Mahy says
Manicotti pasta never disappoints! And this recipe is a great one, can't wait to make it again!
Casey says
YUM! This was so good! I subbed Italian Sausage for the chicken and it was amazing and full of flavor!! Will try it with chicken next time, too. It was a hit!
Beth says
This is one of the best manicotti recipes I've ever made! I was interested when I saw it included chicken, and I'm so glad I tried it.
Toni says
This is such a perfect recipe! I tried it and turned out so good, we loved the chicken and spinach! It's so flavorful and yummy. Quickly became a favorite at my house!
Eva says
I made this over the weekend for my family, and everyone loved it! I probably should have doubled the recipe, but I thought 9 would be enough for 4 people. I was wrong. They were gone before I knew it. Will definitely make these again. Thanks for the great recipe.