Skip to main content
Epicurious
Cookbooks

Spinach Filling

Ingredients

1 pound (2 cups) ricotta, fresh or packaged
1 egg
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano
20 ounces fresh spinach, cooked, drained, squeezed dry, and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Stir together the ricotta, egg, and grated cheese until smooth. Fold in the chopped cooked spinach, melted butter, and seasonings until evenly blended.

  2. A Treat for Tomorrow

    Step 2

    Double the amount of one of the fillings and you’ll have enough for twelve manicotti using the full recipe—1 pound—of pasta. Wrap the extras individually in plastic wrap and freeze up to 2 months. To use these treasures, just bring the number you want to room temperature and bake as in the recipe.

From Lidia's Family table by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich Copyright (c) 2004 by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich Published by Knopf. Lidia Bastianich hosts the hugely popular PBS show, "Lidia's Italian-American kitchen" and owns restaurants in New York City, Kansas City, and Pittsburgh. Also the author of Lidia's Italian Table and Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen, she lives in Douglaston, New York. Jay Jacob's journalism has appeared in many national magazines. From the Trade Paperback edition.
TagsItalianEuropeanRicottaCheeseDairySpinachLeafy GreensVegetableParmesanGluten FreeNut FreeVegetarianKeto5 Ingredients or FewerMake AheadNo-CookCookbooks
Read More
The Most-Saved Recipes in the Epicurious App in May
Like miso-peanut hibachi chicken and spring orzotto.
Whole Lemon Bars
Using two entire lemons—pith, skin, and all—cranks up the citrus flavor in this classic dessert.
The Only Frittata Recipe You’ll Ever Need
Keep this easy frittata recipe on hand for quick breakfasts, impressive brunches, and fridge clean-out meals.
Grilled Salmon With Dill Chimichurri
Grilling fish atop a bed of lemon slices is the key to not sticking.
Grilled Steak With Spicy Peanut Dressing
A punchy, spicy peanut vinaigrette transforms a simply grilled steak into a showstopping main.
The Most-Saved Recipes in the Epicurious App This Week
Like “phenomenal” whole lemon bars and grilled salmon with dill chimichurri.
Charred Vegetable Ragù
This sauce is slightly magical. The texture cloaks pasta much like a traditional meat sauce does, and the flavors are deep and rich, but it’s actually vegan!
Miso-Peanut Hibachi Chicken
The magic of this hibachi chicken recipe comes from a combination of miso and peanut butter and how it beautifully caramelizes when it hits the grill.