Three Cheese Chipotle Manicotti

⏱ 65 mins 🍽 2-3 serving(s) 🏷 Manicotti

This hearty and flavourful vegetarian dish was created to use up cheese with a spicy kick. It combines a three-cheese filling with a smoky chipotle and adobo sauce. The liquid sauce thickens as the uncooked manicotti shells absorb it during baking. Be mindful that the chipotle peppers make it quite fiery, so it's best for those who enjoy robust flavours. The recipe yields enough for two to three people.

Three Cheese Chipotle Manicotti

Ingredients

  • 1/2 large onion, chopped
  • 4 -5 button mushrooms, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 8 -10 manicotti
  • 250 g fresh ricotta cheese
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 (7 ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo
  • 2 1/2 cups pasta sauce (your preferred brand)
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 125 g fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced thinly
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Method

  1. Warm the olive oil in a pan and cook the chopped onion and mushrooms until softened and golden.
  2. Transfer the cooked vegetables to a bowl and combine with the ricotta cheese and dried basil.
  3. Remove two chipotle peppers from the can.
  4. Finely chop these peppers and stir them into the cheese mixture.
  5. Combine everything well and add salt and pepper as desired.
  6. Take two more chipotles and the remaining adobo sauce from the tin and mix them into your chosen pasta sauce. Adjust the quantity of extra peppers to control the heat level.
  7. Blend the chipotles fully into the sauce using a hand blender.
  8. Stir in the water, then pour one third of this sauce into the base of a baking dish roughly 9 by 13 inches.
  9. Fill the uncooked manicotti tubes with the ricotta mixture, arranging each one in the dish as you work.
  10. Once all shells are stuffed, pour the remaining sauce over the top.
  11. The sauce should be quite runny and cover the pasta completely.
  12. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake at 200C fan for 30 minutes.
  13. For a conventional oven, increase the temperature by about 20°C.
  14. After the initial bake, remove the foil and cook for another 15 minutes.
  15. Scatter the grated parmesan over the pasta and arrange the thin slices of mozzarella on top.
  16. Place under a grill for 3-4 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
  17. Allow the dish to stand for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Sodium2770500 mg

Recipe details

CategoryManicotti
AuthorSackville