No Boil Manicotti

Ingredients

• 15 oz ricotta cheese
• 2 eggs
• 10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 3 cups mozzarella cheese, grated and divided
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 12 uncooked manicotti shells
• 5 cups marinara sauce
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Spread 1 1/2 cups of marinara in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta and eggs until well mixed. Stir in spinach, 2 cups of the mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir to combine.
4. Spoon mixture into a zip top plastic bag and cut off one corner to create a piping bag.
5. Squeeze cheese mixture into manicotti shells and arrange in baking dish in a single layer. Pour remaining sauce over the top. Cover dish tightly with foil.
6. At this point you can chill until ready to bake, or bake immediately. Bake covered 40 minutes. Remove foil, top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan and bake until cheese is bubbly and golden brown, about 10 minutes more.