Mexican Manicotti - Vegetarian Recipe | WhitneyBond.com (2024)

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Vegetarian Mexican Manicotti is filled with black beans, cheese and spices, then topped with a tomato sauce for a delicious & easy recipe!

Mexican Manicotti - Vegetarian Recipe | WhitneyBond.com (1)

All I am thinking about right now is the fact that I wish I hadn’t eaten this entire dish by myself in a matter of 24 hours.

Needless to say, it was delicious and I want more!

Mexican Manicotti - Vegetarian Recipe | WhitneyBond.com (2)

Where did the idea for Mexican Manicotti come from you ask?

Well, one of the most popular recipes on the blog is for Mexican Stuffed Shells, (they’re also a personal favorite!) so I decided to make another Mexican pasta dish.

Mexican Manicotti - Vegetarian Recipe | WhitneyBond.com (3)

While the stuffed shells are filled with ground beef, I decided to keep the manicotti vegetarian by filling it with refried black beans, queso fresco and Mexican spices.

I used their tomato soup as the sauce on top of the manicotti, makingthis recipe so simple and so tasty!

Mexican Manicotti - Vegetarian Recipe | WhitneyBond.com (4)

Mexican Manicotti Ingredients

  • 4 oz (6-8) manicotti pasta shells
  • 10 oz queso fresco
  • 2 tbsp taco seasoning (click link for homemade taco seasoning recipe)
  • 2 tbsp fresh cilantro
  • 13.6 oz refried black beans
  • 1 cup pepper jack cheese (shredded)
  • 2 cups roasted red pepper tomato soup

Mexican Manicotti Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Boil a large pot of water and add the manicotti pasta.

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Cook for 6-8minutes or just before al dente.Remove from the water and set aside in an even layerto cool.

*Note:over-cooking the pasta will make it much harder to fill the shells. If the shells are too soft, they’ll tear when filling.

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In a large bowl combine the queso fresco, taco seasoning and fresh cilantro.

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Add the black beans and mix everything together.

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Place the bean/cheese mixture in a large plastic bag and cut a small whole in the corner to pipe the mixture into the manicotti shells.

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Pour one cup ofthe tomato soup into the bottom of an oven safe baking dish.

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Hold each shell in your hand and pipe the mixture into the shells.

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*Note: I found it easiest to pipe half of the mixture into one side. Turn the shell around, then pipe the other half through the other side.

Place the filled manicotti on top of the tomato soup in the dish.

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Pour the othercup of tomato soup over the shells.

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Sprinkle the pepper jack cheese on top.

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Bake for 20-25 minutes (or until cheese is melted and bubbly).

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Each time I ate this dish (and by each time I mean for the next 3 meals!), I topped it with something different to see what I liked best.

My favorite toppings were fresh cilantro,fresh diced peppers and a little squeeze of lime juice, I loved the crunch that the peppers added on top and the zest of the fresh lime juice!

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You could also top it with diced avocado, fresh salsa or sour cream.

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If you’re looking for a little meatiness in the dish, add ground beef, chorizo or shredded chicken to the beans and cheese. Obviously you’ll have more filling, so you’ll need more shells, but the basic concept is the same!

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Mexican Manicotti - Vegetarian Recipe | WhitneyBond.com (19)

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Mexican Manicotti

Vegetarian Mexican Manicotti is filled with black beans, cheese and spices, then topped with a tomato sauce for a delicious & easy recipe!

Servings: 4 people

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 40 minutes mins

Author: Whitney Bond

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

  • 4 oz manicotti pasta shells, 8 total shells
  • 10 oz queso fresco
  • 2 tbsp taco seasoning, click link for homemade recipe
  • 2 tbsp fresh cilantro
  • 13.6 oz refried black beans
  • 1 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded
  • 2 cups red pepper tomato soup

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.

  • Boil a large pot of water and add the manicotti pasta.

  • Cook for 6-8 minutes or just before al dente.

  • Remove from the water and set aside in an even layer to cool.

  • In a large bowl combine the queso fresco, taco seasoning and fresh cilantro.

  • Add the black beans and mix everything together.

  • Place the bean/cheese mixture in a large plastic bag and cut a small whole in the corner to pipe the mixture into the manicotti shells.

  • Pour one cup of the tomato soup into the bottom of an oven safe baking dish.

  • Hold each shell in your hand and pipe the mixture into the shells.

  • Place the filled manicotti on top of the tomato soup in the dish.

  • Pour the other cup of tomato soup over the shells.

  • Sprinkle the pepper jack cheese on top.

  • Bake for 20-25 minutes (or until cheese is melted and bubbly).

Nutrition Facts

Serving 3gCalories 538kcal (27%)Carbohydrates 45g (15%)Protein 28g (56%)Fat 26g (40%)Saturated Fat 14g (70%)Cholesterol 74mg (25%)Sodium 1625mg (68%)Potassium 593mg (17%)Fiber 6g (24%)Sugar 11g (12%)Vitamin A 1295mg (26%)Vitamin C 10.1mg (12%)Calcium 659mg (66%)Iron 2.1mg (12%)

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Mexican Manicotti - Vegetarian Recipe | WhitneyBond.com (2024)

FAQs

What is the trick to filling manicotti? ›

Place a disposable decorator bag into a tall glass for stability ( no tip required) then spoon some of the ricotta mixture into it, filling it three quarters of the way up. Snip off the bottom enough so that the filling squeezes through with ease into the pasta hole.

What country is manicotti from? ›

Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Manicotti (the plural form of the Italian word manicotto; < manica, 'sleeve', + the augmentative ending, -otto) are a type of pasta in Italian-American cuisine.

What is cheese manicotti made of? ›

In a bowl, mix 3 cups mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, garlic, egg, and basil. Stuff cooked manicotti with the mixture. Spread about 2 cups pasta sauce over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Arrange stuffed manicotti in the dish, and cover with remaining sauce.

How to stuff manicotti without a bag? ›

Completely fill the uncooked manicotti with the cheese-meat mixture, using a narrow spoon or your fingers. Arrange the stuffed pasta in a single layer in the prepared dish and spoon the remaining sauce over.

How many manicotti per person for a crowd? ›

figure on serving two to three manicotti per person. They are light but very filling especially when served in a meat sauce vs a marinara sauce. The crepe batter is easy to prepare. All the ingredients are added to a blender and mixed to a light creamy batter.

What is a substitute for manicotti? ›

Lasagna pasta sheets are the way to go for manicotti. They're easier to use than traditional tubes, are less likely to tear, and they have a better texture — just make sure to get the kind without curly edges. To boil the lasagna sheets, crisscross them in the water so they aren't as likely to fuse together.

What Italian dish is similar to manicotti? ›

Cannelloni—not to be confused with the Italian tubular dessert cannoli—is a type of lasagna noodle; the term "manicotti" can refer to the same pasta or the baked dish. Dried cannelloni and manicotti tubes are sold both plain and ribbed.

Should you cover manicotti when baking? ›

All 16 noodles should easily fit in the 9X13-inch dish. Spread the remaining sauce evenly over the noodles so they are completely covered. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake until the manicotti is bubbling, about 40 minutes.

What is the difference between manicotti and cannelloni? ›

One of the most noticeable differences between the two shapes is their texture. Manicotti pasta has ridges that give it some bite, while cannelloni is smooth and more tender. Often, restaurants will serve manicotti topped with bolognese or bechamel.

What is the difference between manicotti and crespelle? ›

Like both the classic Italian and French recipes, crespelle uses dough as a casing around a filling. Manicotti traditionally has a filling of cheese — usually ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan — and an optional spinach stuffed into the pasta shells (via Bon Appétit).

Is there a tool to stuff manicotti? ›

Stuffing manicotti is difficult, but if you use a pastry bag without a tip, it's a breeze! Just spoon the filling into the bag, then squeeze it into the cooked pasta tubes.

How do you keep manicotti from flattening? ›

NOTE: The manicotti shells come very neatly packaged in little plastic holder trays. Do not throw these trays away. Now that the pasta is cooked, use these little plastic holder trays to hold the pasta. You want it to retain its shape, and not flatten together with its inner walls sticking together.

Why do stuffed shells get watery? ›

The biggest causes of the shells being too watery upon serving have nothing to do with the shells themselves but the cheese filling inside! When you're buying your ricotta, pay careful attention to the added ingredients. The option that you choose should be the one with the most basic ingredients.

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