Dinner for 6

Pesto Vegetable Manicotti

Name: Pesto Vegetable Manicotti
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 8 oz box of manicotti noodles; 1/2 onion; 2 1/2 cloves garlic; 1/4 cup grated carrots and/or zucchini; 1/2 tsp olive oil; 15 oz ricotta cheese; 5 oz fresh baby spinach; 1/2 tsp garlic powder; 1 cup shredded parmesan/romano cheese; 1/4 cup pesto; 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese for topping (optional); season to taste with black pepper (optional); 16 oz fire roasted marinara sauce [see post for recipe] or your favorite red sauce

$6.74for 430 minServes 6

Manicotti tubes hold ricotta, spinach, vegetables, and pesto, then bake in marinara with a melted cheese topping.

Photo: peasandcrayons.com

What it costs

Pick your city to see which ingredients are on sale

Ingredient	Amount	Cost
	Pasta, 8 oz$0.10/oz typical	8 oz	$0.80Typical price
	Onions, 0.2 lb$1.29/lb typical	0.2 lb	$0.26Typical price
	Garlic, 0.25$0.75 each typical	0.25	$0.19Typical price
	Zucchini and summer squash, a little$1.79/lb typical	a little	$0.13Typical price
	Cottage cheese, 15 oz$0.17/oz typical	15 oz	$2.55Typical price
	Spinach, 5 oz$0.35/oz typical	5 oz	$1.75Typical price
	Parmesan, 3.5 oz$0.55/oz typical	3.5 oz	$1.93Typical price
	Alfredo, 2.25 oz$0.18/oz typical	2.25 oz	$0.38Typical price
	Mozzarella, 1.5 oz$0.30/oz typical	1.5 oz	$0.45Typical price
	Pasta sauce, 16 oz$0.10/oz typical	16 oz	$1.60Typical price
Total for the servings shown		$10.12

Swaps

Swap zucchini and summer squash for bell peppersabout $0.70/lb more at typical prices
Swap onions for red onionsabout $0.20/lb more at typical prices
Swap mozzarella for cheddar and shredded cheeseabout the same price
Swap pasta for egg noodlesabout $0.04/oz more at typical prices

Pantry staples you likely have

Olive and cooking oilDried spices (cumin, paprika, chili powder, oregano)Salt and pepper

Not included in the cost.

30 minstart to table
Mediumdifficulty
6servings as written
$typical cost tier

Italian Vegetarian Budget Family Dinners

Typical price

$1.69 per serving$6.74 for 4

City Store

Typical price: Salefork's estimate of an everyday US shelf price for each ingredient. Pick your city to price it from this week's ad.

Ingredients

8 oz box of manicotti noodles
1/2 onion
2 1/2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup grated carrots and/or zucchini
1/2 tsp olive oil
15 oz ricotta cheese
5 oz fresh baby spinach
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 cup shredded parmesan/romano cheese
1/4 cup pesto
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese for topping (optional)
season to taste with black pepper (optional)
16 oz fire roasted marinara sauce [see post for recipe] or your favorite red sauce

Steps

Heat the oven to 375 F and spread half the marinara in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
Boil the manicotti in salted water until barely tender, about 6 minutes, then drain carefully.
Heat oil in a skillet and cook the onion, garlic, carrots, zucchini, and spinach for 5 minutes.
Mix the cooked vegetables with ricotta, garlic powder, pepper, pesto, and half the parmesan.
Fill the manicotti with the ricotta mixture and arrange them in the baking dish.
Cover with the remaining marinara, mozzarella, and parmesan, then bake for 15 minutes.