Love is in the air and Valentine's is just around the corner. There is nothing that says that's amore like Italian food. This Dairy Free Manicotti with Sausage is the perfect dish to serve for any special occasion, or just because. Cheesy, meaty, and delicious, this manicotti uses a grocery store short cut making it ideal for any night of the week.
Regardless of the occasion, even if it's just a Wednesday and you're celebrating being closer to the weekend, pasta is always the right answer. Whether it's Dairy Free Seafood Pasta with Garlic Butter or this Italian classic, it's ideal for an intimate affair or feeding a crowd.
Ingredients
Who says you can't have Dairy Free Manicotti with Sausage on a weeknight? While some Italian recipes require hours of simmering and stirring, this manicotti with sausage recipe comes together in less than an hour.
- Gluten Free Manicotti - This literally translates to little sleeves in Italian. This Italian American pasta shape is perfect for stuffing and baking.
- Marinara Sauce - If you have homemade marinara sauce, such the marinara used in my Gluten Free Spaghetti and Meatballs, feel free to use it. However, you can take the help of the grocery store and use your favorite jarred marinara making this manicotti recipe even more of a breeze.
- Dairy Free Ricotta - Adds creaminess to the filling.
- Dairy Free Parmesan - Adds both nuttiness and a little saltiness to the creamy filling.
- Dairy Free Mozzarella - Gives mild flavor and creaminess that balances out the bold flavors of the sausage.
- Parsley - Gives freshness to the cheesy manicotti filling.
- Salt and Pepper
- Garlic - Gives a savory, bright pop to the cheesy mixture.
- Eggs - Helps give the cheese filling a fluffy, airy texture.
- Italian Sausage - Use your favorite! You can make it spicy, mild, or use a combination. Mild Italian sausage will have fennel in it while hot Italian sausage will have crushed red pepper Dairy Fr
How to Make Dairy Free Manicotti with Sausage
Making stuffed manicotti can easily being broken down into three simple steps. Boil your pasta, stuff, and bake. The best part you can assemble this ahead of time and then bake it just before you're ready to serve.
Time needed: 1 hour.
Cheesy stuffed manicotti is topped with a thick sausage marinara and baked until bubbly.
- Pregame
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick baking spray.
- Boil
Cook your pasta according to the package directions, careful not to overcook it. Remember that it will be baked in the oven.
- Mix
Add your ricotta, eggs, parsley, cheeses, garlic, salt, and pepper to a bowl and mix until fully combined.
- Saucy
Heat a skillet on medium heat. Add the sausage and allow it to cook until cooked through, breaking it up with a spoon. Add the marinara sauce and stir. Remove from the heat.
- Assemble
Use a piping bag to fill your manicotti with the cheese mixture. Place them in the prepared baking dish. Top with the sausage marinara.
- Bake
Allow your manicotti to bake for 35-40 minutes. Enjoy!
Variations
This recipe is completely Gluten Free and Dairy Free. However, you can make the same recipe with regular manicotti and all dairy cheeses. The measurements will be the same.
Substitutions
- Turkey Sausage - Feel free to swap the pork sausage in this recipe for your favorite turkey or chicken Italian sausage.
- Plant Based Sausage - Make this recipe completely vegan by using a plant based Italian sausage.
Storage
Dairy Free Manicotti with Sausage is a great make ahead dish and also perfect for meal prepping. You can make this recipe up until the point of baking. Cover it tightly and keep it stored in the refrigerator until you're ready to bake it. You can make it up to two days in advance. Once baked if can be kept for up to five days refrigerated.
You can also freeze this. After assembling your manicotti wrap it tightly with both plastic wrap and foil, making sure to eliminate any air. It will freeze for up to a month. Let it defrost overnight in the refrigerator before baking.
Top Tip for Dairy Free Manicotti with Sausage
Using a piping bag makes it easy and mess free to fill your manicotti shells. This also works with other stuffed pastas such as stuffed shells. If you don't have a piping bag however, you can use a zip top bag. Add your filling and transfer it to one side of the plastic bag. Snip off the corner with scissors, being careful to leave enough room for the thick filling to come out but not making it too large.
Dairy Free Manicotti with Sausage
Equipment
- 1 9x13 baking dish
- 1 Skillet
- 1 Mixing Bowl
- 1 piping bag
Ingredients
- 7 oz Gluten Free manicotti, cooked according to package directions
- 1 jar marinara
- 16 oz Dairy Free ricotta
- 8 oz Dairy Free parmesan
- 8 oz Dairy Free mozzarella
- ⅓ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp garlic, minced
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 2 eggs
- 1 lbs Italian sausage, removed from casing
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick baking spray and set aside.
- Cook pasta according to the package directions and drain.
- Add the ricotta, parmesan, mozzarella, eggs, garlic, parsley, and salt and pepper to a bowl. Mix to combine.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage.
- Allow the sausage to cook through using your spoon to break it up.
- Pour in the marinara and stir to combine. Turn off the heat.
- Add the cheese mixture to a piping bag. Pipe the filling into the manicotti and place into the prepared baking dish.
- Top with the sausage marinara.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until bubbly.
- Enjoy!
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