Kale + White Bean Stuffed Manicotti
This weekend was big Italian energy at my house. My cutie husband got out his bread making tools for baguettes, and I had my sights on pasta. Particularly a project pasta. We set out to make stuffed shells, but pivoted to manicotti after quickly learning jumbo shells are a holiday thing. Who knew? Anyways - stuffed pasta was a first for us, and sounded perfect for a cozy Saturday night in. We landed on a Kale + White Bean Stuffed Manicotti with a simple red sauce, and we haven’t been able to stop talking about it. My husband’s words when we were scarfing down leftovers yesterday were “we gotta save this one” - so here we are.
This pasta ticks a lot of boxes for me - lots of veggies, a bean-y filling, and no ricotta. A no ricotta stuffed pasta is the best (I really don’t enjoy the stuff), and in this recipe we used pureed white beans as a base. The texture mirrored the creaminess of cheese + tasted so good with tender, cooked kale. Honestly - it was vegetarian heaven. And it brought BIG Italian energy into our kitchen, and making something that felt so classic gave me nonna vibes.
My take-away: use a pastry bag to transfer filing to pasta
As for a kitchen project, this was so fun + the perfect environment for enjoying some drinks + each other’s company. And such a do-able hands-on meal for first-timers. There were several steps, so a bit of work involved, but not hard by any means. We busted out the baking supplies + used a pastry bag to stuff the shells. Worked like a charm!
A very deiicious, very fun meal to make together. And the bean over ricotta filing was bomb! A very yummy veggie heavy dish.
For the sauce
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
EVOO
28 oz can of crushed San Marzanos
1 tsp fennel seeds
salt + pepper
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/4 c. - 1/2 c. chicken stock
1/4 c. fresh basil, minced
For the veggie filling
2 bunches of curly kale, stems removed + cleaned
6 garlic cloves, minced
EVOO
1-5.2 oz. Boursin cheese cube (5.2 oz herbed. soft cheese)
1 can of cannelini beans, drained + rinsed
1/2 c. marinated artichoke hearts, drained + minced
For the pasta
Dried manicotti
1 c. shredded mozzarella
1/4 c. grated parmesan
Start by making the sauce. Place a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the EVOO + garlic, cooking until just fragrant. Add the tomatoes + bring to a simmer. Season with fennel seeds, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Keep on a simmer for 5-7 minutes, then reduce the heat to low + stir in the basil. Cover the pan.
Move to making the veggie filling. In a separate pan, add a few tbsp of EVOO to a pan over medium heat. Add the garllic, cook until fragrant, and then add the kale. Leave the kale to cook over medium heat, covering the pan, and cooking for 15 minutes. Stir the kale every 5 minutes or so. When the kale has cooked for 15 minutes, add in seasoning + the artichokes, and cook for another 5 minutes, uncovered. Turn off the burner and let cool.
Meanwhile, please a large pot of salted water over medium high heat.
As the water heats up, add the beans + cheese for the pasta to food processor. Puree until smooth. Add in the kale + artichoke mixture and pulse a few times. Set the filling aside until your ready to fill the pasta.
When the water on stove is boiling, add in the manicotti noodles a couple at time, cooking until al dente. Set the cooked noodles on a paper towel lined plate or baking sheet. Continue this process until all of the noodles are cooked.
Preheat the oven to 375.
Fill a piping bag fitted with a large nozzle attachment with the filing mixture, and pipe the mixture into the cooked noodles. Line a 9x13 in baking dish with about 75% of the pasta sauce. Add the stuffed manicotti in a single line in the center of the dish. Spread the remaining sauce on top of the shells nestled in the pan. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake in the oven, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
When it’s done, it should bubbly + golden brown. Sprinkle with some additional basil or red pepper flakes, an your ready to dive in.
