Crock Pot No Cook Manicotti – delicious ricotta spinach manicotti made in the slow cooker! A perfect easy vegetarian dinner idea that preps in no time. Yum!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Ragu. The opinions and text are all mine.
Crock Pot No Cook Manicotti
You won’t believe how easy this Crock Pot No Cook Manicotti is to make. It’s ooey gooey cheesy with a delicious creamy filling and simmered in tomato sauce.
Who doesn’t love making meals that don’t require babysitting? Just set it in the crock pot and go on with your day. You can also make the day before and just turn on the slow cooker when needed.
I used to eat a lot of manicotti before but making used to be a pain. First, you needed to boil the pasta, cool it down, and fill them up. Usually, my manicotti would break up before I was ready to fill them. It was so frustrating and time-consuming. Now using this crock pot method you will both save time and your dish will look beautiful.
It was so frustrating and time-consuming. Now using this crock pot method you will both save time and your dish will look beautiful.
So wash your hands and let’s get started.
First, we make the filling using spinach, goat cheese, ricotta cheese, egg, parmesan, mozzarella, and spices. You can really get creative and use your favorite combination of cheeses here.
My fave is the tanginess of the goat cheese combined with the parmesan. The mozzarella and ricotta have less flavor but provide the creaminess.
Next, we mix everything with a big spoon
I place the filling in a large zip-top bag and cut one of the edges. Fill each UNCOOKED manicotti with the filling using the zip-top bag. You’ll see how easy it is! Just place the cut tip of the bag into the hole of the manicotti and then apply pleasure to the bag.
Now we add delicious Ragu sauce on the bottom of the slow cooker.
We place the stuffed manicotti on top
We cover with more Ragu sauce and some yummy cheese. Mozzarella and Parmesan.
Now we cover and cook on high for 2 hours or until pasta is completely cooked. Looks delicious doesn’t it?
See how easy it was?
I hope you can try this delicious No Crock Pot No Cook Manicotti at home. If you do, please upload a pic on Instagram and tag me @Livingsweetmoments or use the hashtag #LivingSweet. I promise to repost it.
Crock Pot No Cook Manicotti
Ingredients
For Filling
- 15 oz Ricotta
- 1/4 Cup Goat Cheese
- 1/4 Cup Mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1/2 Cup Parmesan cheese shredded
- 1 Clove Garlic minced
- 1/2 Teaspoon Dried oregano
- 1 Egg
- 1 Package frozen spinach thawed, drained and squeezed dry, 10
- 1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg
- Salt + Pepper
For Manicotti
- 8 oz Package of Manicotti shells
- 1 Cup Mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1 Cup Parmesan cheese shredded
- 24 oz Tomato Sauce
Garnish (optional)
- 1/2 Cup Pine nuts toasted (optional)
- Basil chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Place all the filling ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined
- Pour the filling inside a large zip top bag. Cut away one corner
- Fill each uncooked manicotti with the filling
- In the bowl of a slow cooker pour 1/3 of the Ragu Sauce
- Place filled manicottis on top
- Cover with 1/3 of the sauce
- Cover with 1/2 cup of each cheeses
- Add the remaining manicottis
- Cover with the rest of the sauce
- Add the rest of the cheeses
- Cover with lid and cook on high for 2 hours or on low for 4 hours
- Manicottis should be fork tender
- Remove from slow cooker and sprinkle garnishes on top
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
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So I made all the shells and froze them ( prepping for baby #2). I know I can thaw first and likely do the 2 hour cook time. Have you tried this, by chance? Really hoping to cook from frozen.
Hi Emily! congrats on the baby! Honestly, I do not recommend freezing them. The texture of and shape of the pasta doesn’t hold very well.
Planning to try this tomorrow with gluten free shells (fingers crossed!) and with fresh spinach. Any clue on what you would recommend for amount of spinach when it is fresh not frozen? Still an ounce?
Hi Erin! Remember that Spinach wilts a lot, so if using fresh, double the amount of spinach needed. Let me know how it turns out!
I only used about an ounce and it was good, although I wasn’t looking for heavy spinach. I could have used more, but it was fine as it was. I did use more sauce, as the gluten free noodles I expected to be an issue and found with more sauce and cooking on high, I should have cooked for a shorter time. It turned out good, but the noodles wound up disintegrating. I will try again with either less sauce or less time.
Oh Erin, thanks for your feedback. So sorry about your pasta disintegrating. GF pasta uses less time than regular one, I guess.
What do you think about doubling the recipe in the crockpot or layering extra manicotti on top of each other? I am a nurse and am thinking this might be good to take to work to feed my co-workers on a weekend shift when the cafeteria doesn’t have anything good to offer.
Hi Pam! Sounds great, just make sure you have enough sauce to cover BOTH layers!
Let me know how it comes out
This was great. Made without spinach because I didn’t have it.
Yummy!
Thanks for the feedback Christina!
Do you think the manicotti could be prepped the night before, refrigerated, and put in the slow cooker the next day? Thanks!
yes Katie! it would work great
really delicious recipe!! i always caramelize onions and garlic whenever i have ricotta in a recipe, taste great with the creaminess. Totally will make again!
That’s a great tip, Jill! I am sure it the caramelized onions will give it a nice sweetness to the recipe. Glad you like the manicotti and thanks for your feedback
Made this today and every one LOVED it! I made some slight changes based on what I had: cottage cheese mixed with chopped fresh spinach, fresh mozzarella, Parm and a little pesto for the filling, and used some fresh spinach in the layering. I also topped with the fresh mozzarella and Parmesan. The bag worked so well for putting the filling in. Mine cooked on high for 2 hours but next time I’ll do 2.5 hours. My kids ate so much-everyone had multiple servings! Yay!! Win!!! Thank you!!
Love your changes Alison! the addition of pesto is genius! Thanks for your feedback
Do you have a substitution suggestion for goat cheese? Our small town grocery store doesn’t carry it. And please don’t say cottage cheese…..that stuff should rot in hell lol. Nasty! Any other suggestions?
What about ricotta cheese or even feta
We love love love this recipe! Every couple of weeks i make large batches of tasty food for my grandma, my husbands grandparents and a coworker and I am planning on making this for them! I usually make them in disposable pans and was wondering what you would recommend for cook time in a conventional oven? I would be making a day ahead if time so they would sit in the fridge overnight and then be cooked the next day. Thank you!
Hi Elena! For a conventional oven bake covered for 45 minutes uncover and let it brown on top for 15 minutes more
What temp and how long would you recommend to do this in the oven for?
350 F for about 35-45 minutes. Sauce should be bubbly
I freeze these all the time . I assemble them and then put them back in the tray that the manicotti came in. I wrapped them securely in plastic wrap, then put them back in the box thay came in, date them and put them in the freezer.
Thanks for the tips Judy!
Great idea! Do you unthaw before cooking? or just layer them in to the sauce and cheese still frozen?
I do not thaw! that’s the great thing!