This recipe intrigued me because it used no boil lasagna noodles instead of manicotti shells. Stuffing manicotti makes for very messy business, so using the no boil lasagna noodles seemed much easier. This is a wonderful dish, perfect for Sunday dinner or get together with friends or family.
Admittedly, while I was making the sauce to go with this recipe, I was unimpressed. I worried it wouldn’t be very flavorful, but I was wrong. It was absolutely scoop-up-what’s-left-in-the-dish terrific.
I honestly don’t remember where I first saw this recipe, but got the final version from Recipezaar. It originated from America’s Test Kitchen.
Because this recipe is a little more involved, I’ve included step by step photos below, the printable recipe is available below also. Don’t worry though, it only LOOKS difficult, but it’s actually really easy to put together and makes for an impressive meal!
Baked Manicotti With Prosciutto
Baked Manicotti With Prosciutto
IMPORTANT - There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
- 2 28 ounce cans diced tomatoes (in juice)
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 medium garlic cloves minced or pressed through garlic press
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 3 cups ricotta cheese
- 4 ounces grated parmesan cheese about 2 cups
- 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese about 2 cups
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 16 no-boil lasagna noodles 1 1/2 packages
- 16 slices thinly sliced prosciutto
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Sauce
- Coarsely chop tomatoes in a blender or food processor to make 1/4 inch chunks. You may have to do this in several batches to make the pieces relatively uniform. (I just bought diced canned tomatoes).
- In a large saucepan, heat the oil, garlic, and pepper flakes in large saucepan over medium heat until garlic is just barely starting to brown (1-2 minutes). Add tomatoes and salt; cook until sauce thickens slightly (about 15 minutes). Add basil and salt.
Filling
- Combine ricotta, 1 cup parmesan, mozzarella, eggs, salt, pepper, and herbs. Set aside.
Assembly
- Cook noodles until just pliable (this only takes about 20-30 seconds!). Place in single layer on clean kitchen towels. Pour about 1 1/2 cups of sauce in the bottom of 9" x 13" baking dish; spread evenly. Place 1 slice of prosciutto on each noodle. Spread 1/4 cup cheese mixture onto bottom 3/4 of each noodle on top of prosciutto, leaving top 1/4 of noodle uncovered. Starting from the end with cheese, roll into the noodle into a tube shape and arrange in baking dish seam side down. Top evenly with remaining sauce, covering each noodle completely.
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil. Bake on the middle rack until the sauce bubbles (about 40 minutes).
- Remove manicotti from the oven and adjust the oven rack to the highest position. It should be about 6 inches from the heating element. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup parmesan cheese evenly over the manicotti. Do not replace the foil. Broil until cheese starts to brown. Cool 15-20 minutes before serving to allow the manicotti to set.
- This recipe can be prepared through step 5, covered with a sheet of parchment paper, wrapped in aluminum foil, and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month. (If frozen, thaw the manicotti in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days.) To bake, remove the parchment, replace the aluminum foil, and increase baking time to 1 to 1 1/4 hours.
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Amanda Davis
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Megan says
Stuffing manicotti noodles is a real pain in the behind. I like this idea a lot!
spike. says
Looks like a great dinner for a cold night!
Amanda says
Kelly, please let me know if you try it!
Ingrid – I used Creamette, they are called Oven Ready. :)
Thanks Katrina ;) I have made lasagna that way as well. The only thing I would suggest to those who have never tried making lasagna without boiling them first (the regular noodles) is to make sure that all the noodles edges are covered with sauce. Otherwise, the uncooked noodles edges sticking out will get hard and crusty. Trust me on this one LOL
I would think the same would work for manicotti noodles too, just hate to suggest it and have it not work for someone :-p
Katrina says
Amanda, HoneyB, whoever else wants to know, I have made lasagna for years and I always use the regular noodles (not the no-boil ones) and I never boil them first. Just layer on like regular lasagna. The noodles always cook all the way. I hate taking the step of boiling the noodles first. Just an FYI, you should try it sometime. Although with the no-boil noodles readily available, I do buy those when I can. I just like the shape and their thinness a little better.
I haven't tried manicotti shells (not boiling at all first), but now I'm totally wondering if that would work. Maybe the cook time isn't quite long enough for those. Hmmm?
Anyway,
Amanda, the dish certainly looks de-lish. One of my favorite meals is lasagna (and the like). And now I know what I want for dinner. But I may just have to go get some shells and try it.
And I'm rambling, but great post, Amanda.
Debbie says
Looks wonderful Amanda and what a great idea! I have never seen manicotti made like this. We used to always have manicotti on holidays when I was growing up.
Marie says
That looks so good Amanda. I just love the step by step photos!!
Ingrid says
It does look like an impressive dish! I've made lasagna roll-ups before so know this isn't that difficult though I haven't seen the soft no bake kind. What brand did you use? I'm going to keep my eyes open for some. Thanks for sharing the recipe. I'll be giving it a try.
~ingrid
Culinary Cory says
This looks great. I love baked pastas like lasagnas, stuffed shells and manicotti's. So hearty and comforting.
margot says
That looks delicious! Perfect to make on a Sunday and enjoy leftovers later in the week.
HoneyB says
This looks great! I love no boil noodles. They make my life much easier when making lasagna – which is Grumpy's favorite dish1
Kelly says
I just showed this to my husband and he's drooling over it. :) This is DEFINITELY on our "must make" list. Thanks, Amanda!!
Amanda says
Kare, Eat – I'm with you, it stinks to stuff them and they always rip
A_and_N – I actually think if you use actual manicotti shells and only partially cook them so they are still firm when you remove them from the water this would work. I am thinking you could roll up the cheese and prosciutto and "insert" it into the manicotti shell. Even if you only partially boil the shells, they will finish cooking in the oven while in the sauce :)
Thank you Rebecca :)
Chow and Chatter says
wow this looks mouth watering great job
A_and_N says
Such a simple and meticulous way of doing it! Though I wonder if I can do something as simple as this with dried store bought manicotti?
Great pics too!
EAT! says
Love the technique. I can never stuff manicotti shells without tearing them.
Karen says
I really like the idea of these roll-ups. I don't think I'd want to take the time to stuff manicotti shells, either. Sounds like a delicious filling, too!
Amanda says
That's so nice of you Peter, thank you! Coming from you that's a great compliment :) And thanks for the RT as well!
Peter M says
Amanda, your organization makes this dish very easy to reproduce. I would be glowing if I made this.
Amanda says
Absolutely! The meat is very thin and just for additional flavor. Would love to hear/see how it turns out for you!
Sweet and Savory says
I would love to make this with only the cheese and maybe add some spinach to the filling. Can't have the meat. Would it hold together without the meat?