If you are a fan of Italian and are up for trying new recipes then I suggest this Parmesan Chicken Manicotti. These manicotti shells are stuffed with a cheesy chicken mixture, and topped with tasty marinara!
We served this pasta dish with some yummy garlic bread, a salad, and some zuppa toscana soup and felt like we were at Olive Garden, it was that good! We have a feeling everyone who tries this will love this.
Better than the restaurant
Do you like Italian food? I LOVE it, and it’s something we make all the time at our house (hello Spaghetti and Fettuccine).
Many of our favorite Sunday dishes have been Italian recipes. This Chicken Manicotti recipe is actually one that my mom made for a weekly family dinner. It was SO delicious, it honestly tasted even better than an Italian restaurant!
If you haven’t tried manicotti before, you must. It’s delicious!
how to make chicken manicotti
Did you know manicotti translates to “little muff” or “little sleeve”? Which is a perfect description for this delicious stuffed pasta!
Cheesy Filling. In a medium bowl combined shredded chicken, Ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs and oregano. Add salt and pepper to taste and stir until well combined.
Manicotti. After cooking the manicotti according to package directions, stuff each shell with ¼ cup chicken mixture and place in a greased 9×13 pan.
Marinara Sauce. Add crushed tomatoes to a saucepan over low heat. Add Italian seasoning, grated Parmesan cheese and stir until heated and simmering. Pour crushed tomato sauce over Manicotti and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and fresh basil (optional).
Bake & Serve. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes. Serve warm, and ENJOY!
Tips for using manicotti shells:
- Flavor the noodles with salt. Bring the water to a boil, add 1 tablespoon of salt, add the pasta and cook.
- If this is your first time ever using manicotti I would suggest cooking a couple extra noodles in case some rip while stuffing them.
- An easy way to fill the shell is to fill a ziplock bag with the mixture. Cut the corner off of the bag, (you will need to cut a larger portion off to allow the chicken to pass through) and use the bag to pipe the mixture into the manicotti shell.
Make ahead and store
Make ahead. I am a fan of doubling a recipe that I’m already planning to make. This way I have a meal for the current day and I can tuck the other one away in the freezer for a hot meal on a crazy busy day.
- Fridge option: Make up to a day ahead of time, cover with plastic wrap, and keep in the fridge until you’re ready to bake.
- Freeze option: Cook pasta al dente. Assemble according to the recipe cover with plastic wrap and again with foil. Freeze for up to months. When you’re ready to use it thaw it in the refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 375° and bake for 35-40 minutes. If the manicotti seems to be getting too dry before the being cooked through cover with aluminum foil.
Storing. Manicotti leftovers will keep airtight in the fridge for up 3-4 days, or you can cover and keep in the freezer for 2-3 months. Reheat single servings in the microwave. Larger portions can be heated in the oven.
what to serve with manicotti?
If you like this chicken pasta, check out:
- Creamy Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake
- Cheesy Chicken and Asparagus Pasta
- Lemon Chicken Pasta
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
Chicken Manicotti Recipe
Ingredients
- 14 pieces Manicotti cooked according to package
- 2 cups ricotta cheese skim
- 1 cup parmesan cheese shredded
- 1 cup shredded chicken
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp oregano
- 1 can crushed tomatoes
- 1 tsp italian seasoning
- 4-5 tbsp parmesan cheese grated
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a medium bowl combined shredded chicken, Ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs and oregano. Add salt and pepper to taste and stir until well combined.
- Stuff each Manicotti with ¼ cup chicken mixture and place in a greased 9x13 pan. Continue rolling manicotti until all filled and in the pan.
- Add crushed tomatoes to a saucepan over low heat. Add Italian seasoning, grated Parmesan cheese and stir until heated and simmering.
- Pour crushed tomato sauce over Manicotti and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
- Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.
Pictures for this recipe were re-taken by contributor, Alicia, of The Baker Upstairs.
Oh, man that looks good. This would be a tough sell in our house though, since my wife’s chicken parm is the standard by which all others are judged!
This is the first time I have ever cooked manicotti. It was absolutely delicious. I’m glad I cooked extra noodles because I tore a few and had to try again. Once I got the technique down, it was easy. My family devoured the whole dish, even my six year old daughter!! No leftovers. ???? I did add garlic, as my family LOVES garlic, but other than that, I followed the recipe with no other changes. I will definitely be making this again. Five star ⭐️ rating all the way!!
Thanks so much!! I’m glad you got the technique down! We love this recipe too!!
Hi, I am going to make this soon. But I could not find small can crushed tomato. I got 28 Oz crushed tomato so do I need to use all or just use only half can? Do I have to use foil cover the baking pan when I bake? Thank you.
Yes, you would just use half and no, you don’t need to cover with foil. Hope you like this recipe, as much as we do!! Thanks so much!
Thank you so much for the recipe. I just baked it, my husband and his friend love it. I wish I cloud eat some but I still cant because of dairy ^_^
Well, I’m glad your hubby and his friend liked it!! Thank you for letting me know!
I haven’t tried to cook manicotti before but this amazing and well worth the effort!
Do i need to cook the chicken first
In the oven or just the pan with
The other ingredients?
It is cooked, shredded chicken. Enjoy!
I am a big fan of stuffed shells & Italian recipes! This is super tasty & filling! My picky kids loved it!
Love chicken manicotti! I have learned through my manicotti experiences to cheat and simply slit the manicotti, put the filling on the flat manicotti and roll, place the seams at an angle and the filling stays put. After baked, it comes out of the dish the same as if you never even split them! Also, I like to add chopped, uncooked spinach.
Good pro tip! Thanks for sharing!
Anything Pasta is always a great choice! This recipe was to die for! Making it again SOON!
I LOVE doubling the recipe and making it ahead for another meal- super convenient.
What a delicious pasta recipe. NICE CHANGE FROM MY NORMAL SPAGHETTI. I appreciated all the tips you included.
Italian food is always a staple in our home. The grandkids love it! The flavor is great and easy to put together.
I just made this last week and my kids had friends over. They devoured it! I think they LOVED it!!!
It was okay. It tasted pretty good, but the flavors didn’t seem to mesh. I think some sort of Alfredo sauce would have tasted better with the chicken and ricotta instead of the tomato.
Thank you for trying it. I think alfredo would taste great. I will have to try that!
Can I make ahead and freeze?