Giada beef and cheese manicotti from Giada De Laurentiis stuffs par-cooked pasta tubes with a ground beef and three-cheese filling before baking in marinara. And the dish serves 6 at approximately 680 calories per serving in about 55 minutes, since the filled shells only need 30 to 35 minutes in the oven.
Instead of using raw manicotti and relying on the sauce to soften them in the oven, Giada par-boils the shells for 4 to 6 minutes first. So they are pliable enough to fill without cracking, but still firm enough to hold their shape through 35 minutes of baking.
Cooling the browned beef completely before stirring it into the cheese mixture is the step that keeps the ricotta from turning grainy. And if you fold hot meat into cold cheese, the heat partially cooks the ricotta and the filling loses the creamy texture that makes each bite smooth.
Source: Giada De Laurentiis (Giadzy.com)
Giada Beef and Cheese Manicotti
Course: BeefCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy6
servings15
minutes40
minutes680
kcalBrowned ground beef and onion cool before mixing into ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, parsley, and garlic. Then par-cooked manicotti tubes fill with the mixture, nestle into marinara in a 9×13 dish, and bake under more cheese and butter dots at 350°F.
Ingredients
- For the meat filling:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 pound ground beef
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- For the cheese mixture:
1 (15-oz.) container whole-milk ricotta
1 1/2 to 2 cups shredded mozzarella (from 3 cups total, divided)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan (from 1 cup total, divided)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- For the pasta and assembly:
1 (8-oz.) package manicotti
1 teaspoon olive oil, for the baking sheet
2 teaspoons olive oil, for the baking dish
3 cups marinara sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella (remaining)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan (remaining)
2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
Directions
- Brown the beef: Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, add the onion and ground beef, season with salt and pepper, and cook about 5 minutes until browned.
- Cool the meat: Then remove from the heat and let the mixture cool completely.
- Par-cook the manicotti: While the meat cools, brush 1 teaspoon oil on a baking sheet and boil the manicotti for 4 to 6 minutes until slightly softened but still very firm.
- Transfer and cool: Then use a slotted spoon to move the shells to the oiled baking sheet and let them cool.
- Mix the cheese filling: While the pasta cools, combine the ricotta, 1 1/2 to 2 cups mozzarella, 1/2 cup Parmesan, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Add the meat: Once the beef is cool, stir it into the cheese mixture until combined.
- Preheat the oven: Then heat to 350°F.
- Prepare the dish: Brush the remaining 2 teaspoons oil over a 13x9x2 inch baking dish and spoon 1 1/2 cups marinara across the bottom.
- Fill the manicotti: Then stuff each shell with the cheese-meat mixture and arrange in a single layer over the sauce.
- Add the remaining sauce: Once arranged, spoon the remaining 1 1/2 cups marinara over the filled shells.
- Top with cheese and butter: Then sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan over everything and dot with butter pieces.
- Rest and serve: Then let stand 5 minutes before serving.
- Bake uncovered: Once topped, bake for 30 to 35 minutes until heated through and bubbly on the sides.
FAQs
Can I use jumbo shells instead of manicotti?
Jumbo shells hold the same filling and bake at the same temperature, so they swap in directly. And they are actually easier to fill since you can spoon the mixture into the open cavity instead of piping it into a narrow tube.
But shells sit open-side up in the dish, which means the top of the filling browns directly under the cheese layer. Since manicotti tubes enclose the filling completely, the texture inside stays creamier, so the two options give slightly different results.
Why does the recipe par-boil the manicotti instead of using oven-ready?
Par-boiling for 4 to 6 minutes softens the tubes enough to fill without snapping, but leaves them firm enough to hold their shape during baking. And oven-ready manicotti absorbs moisture from the marinara as it bakes, which can leave the sauce dry by the time the pasta is tender.
But if you do use oven-ready shells, add an extra half cup of marinara and cover the dish with foil for the first 20 minutes. Since oven-ready pasta needs steam to hydrate, the covered environment prevents the top from drying out before the tubes soften.
What marinara works best for this dish?
Giada suggests Bio Orto brand on the source page, but any good-quality jarred marinara with a short ingredient list works. And a sauce with a smooth consistency coats the shells more evenly than a chunky one does.
But if you have a homemade marinara, use that since the flavor is always deeper than store-bought. And the same approach applies to the giada cioppino, where the quality of the tomato base carries the entire dish.
Can I assemble this ahead and bake later?
You can fill the manicotti and arrange them in the sauced dish up to 24 hours before baking, then cover and refrigerate. And a cold dish needs about 10 extra minutes in the oven, so plan for 40 to 45 minutes total.
But do not freeze the assembled dish with par-cooked pasta, because the shells crack as they freeze and the filling leaks out. Since the filling and sauce both keep separately in the fridge for up to 3 days, assembling the morning of is a safer make-ahead approach.
What should I serve alongside manicotti?
A simple green salad with Italian vinaigrette balances the heavy cheese and meat filling without adding more starch. And garlic bread is a classic pairing, though it doubles down on the richness.
For dessert after this dish, something light like the giada affogato cleans the palate with hot espresso and cold gelato. But skip heavy sides like mashed potatoes or risotto, because the manicotti already covers both the protein and starch on the plate.
