Deconstructed Manicotti Skillet with Zucchini Noodles
Try this Deconstructed Manicotti Skillet with Zucchini Noodles recipe.
Try this Deconstructed Manicotti Skillet with Zucchini Noodles recipe.
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 3 cups baby spinach
- 1 large garlic clove minced
- 1 small egg
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- for the filling:
- 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
- 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes no salt added
- 5 basil leaves chopped
- 2 zucchinis, blade a
- 2 tbsp shredded mozzarella cheese
- 7.5 oz of ricotta cheese
- Carbohydrate 7.25614500048559 g
- Cholesterol 96.4000000109882 mg
- Fat 7.31624250336273 g
- Fiber 1.96630004626513 g
- Protein 10.5958900043684 g
- Saturated Fat 3.42096375192159 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (239g)
- Sodium 277.405911591609 mg
- Sugar 5.28984495422046 g
- Trans Fat 0.674990000176279 g
- Calories 133 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Place a large castiron or nonstick skillet over medium heat and add in the olive oil. Add in the garlic, red pepper flakes and onions and cook for 2-3 minutes or until onions are translucent.
- Add in the canned tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Stir and let cook for 10 minutes or until your sauce is reduced fully. Five minutes in, add the basil.
- While the sauce is cooking, mix together all of the ingredients for the "filling." Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Then, place a large skillet over medium heat and coat with cooking spray. Once the skillet heats, add in your baby spinach and toss until wilted. Fold the spinach into the cheese mixture and set aside.
- When the sauce is done cooking, remove half of the sauce and set aside. Make sure that the sauce is spread evenly on the bottom of the skillet and then top with the zucchini noodles. Top with the remaining sauce.
- Next, make two pockets in the zucchini noodles on either side of the skillet and fill each with a dollop of the cheese "filling." Sprinkle over the skillet with the 2 tbsp of mozzarella. Season the top of the skillet with pepper.
- Cover the skillet with tin foil and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the noodles soften and the cheese is completely melted.
- Serve for two!
Traditional baked manicotti requires boiling delicate pasta tubes, filling them individually without tearing the dough, and arranging them neatly in a casserole dish before baking. This skillet adaptation streamlines the process by dismantling those structural elements entirely, layering ribboned squash directly into a concentrated tomato reduction alongside pockets of herbed dairy. Cooking the canned tomatoes over medium heat for ten minutes allows excess moisture to evaporate so the sauce achieves proper concentration before the vegetables go into the oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Zucchini releases a high volume of water during baking, which fundamentally alters the sauce consistency compared to standard semolina pasta; failing to reduce the tomatoes beforehand will result in a watery dish. Swapping traditional ricotta for cottage cheese changes the moisture levels further, requiring thorough draining in a fine-mesh strainer to prevent excess liquid from pooling in the skillet. Fresh mozzarella melts into stretchy pockets, whereas low-moisture block cheese browns more predictably under the broiler if additional color is desired during the final five minutes of the twenty to twenty-five minute baking window. Cast iron retains heat efficiently, helping the bottom sauce bubble steadily as the covered pan transfers from stovetop to oven.
