4-Ingredient Slow Cooker Manicotti
This 4-Ingredient Slow Cooker Manicotti delivers tender, cheese-filled pasta in a rich marinara sauce with no boiling required. Just fill the dry manicotti, layer it in the slow cooker, and let dinner cook hands-off.
Ingredients
- 1 24- to 26-ounce jar prepared marinara or pasta sauce Divided
- 1 15- to 16-ounce container whole-milk ricotta cheese
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Italian blend cheese or mozzarella Divided
- 12 to 14 dry manicotti tubes Uncooked
- nonstick cooking spray or oil For coating the slow cooker
Instructions
- Lightly coat the inside of a large 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with nonstick spray or a thin film of oil.
- Spread about 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce over the bottom of the slow cooker.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta and 1 cup of the shredded cheese until combined.
- Spoon the ricotta mixture into a large zip-top bag, push it toward one bottom corner, seal the bag, and snip off a small piece of the corner.
- Hold each dry manicotti tube over the ricotta bowl and pipe filling into one end until it is about halfway full, then turn the tube and fill from the other end until the filling meets in the middle.
- Arrange the filled manicotti in a snug single layer over the sauce in the slow cooker, angling a few gently on top only if necessary.
- Pour the remaining marinara over the manicotti, making sure every tube is covered well and nudging sauce between them with a spoon if needed.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours, until the manicotti are very tender when pierced with a fork and the sauce is bubbling around the edges.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese over the tender pasta, cover, and cook on LOW for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese melts and becomes slightly bubbly.
- Turn the slow cooker to WARM and let the manicotti rest for about 10 minutes before serving with plenty of sauce spooned over each portion.
Notes
Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to three days, chilling them within two hours. Reheat individual portions in the microwave until steaming hot throughout, reaching 165°F, and add extra sauce if available. Reheating in the slow cooker on LOW also works but may soften the edges.
Nutrition
Calories: 450kcal
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