Spin Dip Manicotti - imagine your fave cheeeeezy pub dip but better because it’s stuffed into a noodle. I’ve been in a #TreatYoself mood since December and it’s not wearing off. One saving grace here - it’s #vegetarian...which means it’s healthy right?
Makes 8 manicotti
Ingredients
8 manicotti noodles, cooked according to package directions
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 white onion, minced
1 tbs olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 bunch (6 cups) spinach, shredded
1 brick (250 g) cream cheese
250 g ricotta cheese
3 tbs Parmesan cheese
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of half a lemon
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp chili flakes (optional)
2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided
2 tbs butter
2 tbs flour
1 cup milk
1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. To a frying pan, add the olive oil and turn the heat up to medium low. Add the garlic, onion, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté for 5-7 minutes until the onions become translucent in colour. Turn off the heat and stir in the spinach. The heat from the onions will wilt the spinach quite a bit.
2. To a mixing bowl, add the spinach mixture, cream cheese, ricotta, parmesan, 1 cup of the mozzarella (grated or cubed), the lemon zest and juice, garlic powder, chili flakes, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix well until fully combined. Set aside just under 1 cup of the filling for the béchamel topping.
3. Stuff the cooked manicotti noodles with the ricotta cream cheese filling. I did this by adding the filling to a ziploc bag, then cutting off of one the tips and piping the filling into each noodle. This way is cleaner and faster in my opinion, but you can also stuff the noodles using a spoon. Transfer stuffed noodles to a baking dish.
4. Over medium heat, add the butter to a pan. Once the butter has melted and starts bubbling, add the flour and whisk vigorously. Continue to whisk for 1-2 minutes until the flour begins to turn light golden in colour. Add half of the milk and whisk to completely dissolve the butter/flour. Once dissolved, add the rest of the milk along with the nutmeg and a pinch of salt and pepper.
5. Continue to whisk until the liquid starts to bubble and thicken, 1-2 mins. Add the reserved filling to the milk and whisk to dissolve. Pour over the manicotti. Top with the remaining mozzarella cheese (grated) and bake for 30 minutes until golden and bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
