Published by Best Fitness Routine. Editorial standards · Report a correction. Educational guidance; no individual clinical review is claimed unless a qualified reviewer is named.
About This Healthy Recipe
This chicken and spinach manicotti combines lean cooked chicken, part-skim ricotta and squeezed spinach inside large pasta tubes. Tomato sauce and a modest mozzarella topping complete four measured dinners.
Cook chicken safely before chopping, leave the tubes slightly firm after boiling and use a thick filling. The covered bake completes the pasta and heats the middle of every tube.
The quantity is controlled by dry pasta weight rather than a universal tube count. Eight tubes are a practical example; if your package differs, each serving remains one quarter of the entire recipe.
Why Readers May Like It
- 1Measured portions and clear freezing and reheating guidance.
- 2Clear dry, cooked and drained ingredient weights.
- 3A complete four-serving meal with practical cooking cues.
Recipe Summary and Estimated Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated from the listed ingredient weights and the specific USDA records or manufacturer references linked below. Weights labeled dry, cooked or drained must be matched to that state.
4 servings
One serving is one quarter of the base batch. Values are estimates rather than laboratory analysis.
Per one quarter of the base recipe
Per one quarter of the base recipe
Per one quarter of the base recipe
Per one quarter of the base recipe
Brands, drained weights, substitutions and final serving sizes can change these values.
Ingredient-by-Ingredient Nutrition Breakdown
Gram weights are the calculation basis; household measures are approximate. Cooking water is listed for preparation, and drained water is not included.
| Ingredient | Amount used | Weight | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manicotti pasta tubes, dry | about 8 large tubes | 180 g | 668 kcal | 23.5 g | 134.4 g | 2.7 g |
| Raw boneless skinless chicken breast | about 14 oz | 400 g | 480 kcal | 90 g | 0 g | 10.5 g |
| Frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed | about 1 1/4 packed cups | 250 g | 58 kcal | 7.4 g | 9.4 g | 0.7 g |
| Part-skim ricotta | about 1 cup | 250 g | 345 kcal | 28.5 g | 12.8 g | 19.8 g |
| Part-skim mozzarella, shredded | about 2/3 cup | 70 g | 213 kcal | 16.5 g | 5.6 g | 13.8 g |
| Crushed tomatoes, canned | about 2 3/4 cups | 650 g | 208 kcal | 10.7 g | 47.4 g | 1.8 g |
| Onion, finely diced | 1 small | 120 g | 48 kcal | 1.3 g | 11.2 g | 0.1 g |
| Olive oil | 1 tablespoon | 14 g | 124 kcal | 0 g | 0 g | 14 g |
| Garlic, minced | 2 cloves | 8 g | 12 kcal | 0.5 g | 2.6 g | 0 g |
| Dried oregano | about 1 teaspoon | 1 g | 3 kcal | 0.1 g | 0.7 g | 0 g |
| Black pepper | about 1/2 teaspoon | 1 g | 3 kcal | 0.1 g | 0.6 g | 0 g |
| Table salt | about 1/6 teaspoon | 1 g | 0 kcal | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g |
| Full recipe estimate | 4 servings | — | 2162 kcal | 178.6 g | 224.7 g | 63.4 g |
How This Nutrition Estimate Was Prepared
- Match each listed ingredient to its linked food record or stated label reference.
- Multiply the per-100-g values by the listed gram weight and add the unrounded ingredient values.
- Divide the full calculation by four servings, then round for the cards.
- Recalculate if you change the ingredient brand, amount or serving yield.
Ingredient cells are rounded independently. The footer sums displayed cells; per-serving cards use the unrounded calculation, so small rounding differences are expected. Cooking-water losses affect finished weight, not the fixed four-serving calculation.
Ingredients
Measured ingredients
Step-by-Step Preparation
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Equipment links are paid affiliate links; use suitable tools you already own.
Equipment
- Instant-read food thermometer (paid link)
- Lidded saucepan (paid link)
- Large lidded cooking pot (paid link)
- Colander (paid link)
- Chef’s knife (paid link)
- Cutting board (paid link)
- Mixing bowls (paid link)
- Cooking spoon (paid link)
- Oven-safe baking dish (paid link)
- Oven gloves (paid link)
- Freezer-safe meal containers (paid link)
Before You Start
Cook chicken safely before chopping, leave the tubes slightly firm after boiling and use a thick filling. The covered bake completes the pasta and heats the middle of every tube.
Allow about 70 minutes. Components can overlap; use the doneness cues rather than the clock alone. Keep surfaces and utensils clean. Chilling and freezing time is additional to the preparation and cooking time shown.
Cook and mince the chicken
18–25 minutesPlace chicken in a saucepan, cover with water and gently simmer until a instant-read food thermometer (paid link) reads 165°F / 74°C in the thickest parts. Transfer to a clean plate, rest briefly and finely chop or shred. Discard cooking water.
Parboil the pasta tubes
8–10 minutesIn a separate pot, boil tubes to about two minutes short of their package al dente time. Drain carefully in a colander and cool briefly on a clean tray until safe to handle.
Prepare tomato sauce
12 minutesHeat oil in a saucepan, soften onion for 5 minutes and add garlic and oregano for one minute. Add tomatoes, salt and pepper and simmer until spoonable. Heat the oven to 375°F / 190°C conventional, or 350°F / 175°C fan.
Mix a thick chicken filling
5 minutesCombine finely chopped cooked chicken, squeezed spinach and ricotta in a bowl. Mash and mix with a cooking spoon (paid link) until evenly distributed.
Fill eight tubes gently
10 minutesSpread one third of the sauce in a 2.5–3-quart / 2.5–3-liter oven-safe baking dish (paid link). Spoon equal filling into the tubes from both ends, using a small spoon or a plain food-safe piping bag if helpful. Arrange in one layer.
Cover, bake and finish
30–35 minutesPour all remaining sauce over the pasta, add mozzarella and cover. Bake 25 minutes, then uncover for 5–10 minutes until pasta is tender and filling reaches 165°F / 74°C.
Rest and divide the whole dish
5 minutesRest briefly, then serve two tubes per person with an equal share of sauce and any extra filling. Use clean utensils for serving.
Chill two-tube freezer portions
Within 2 hoursPut portions with sauce in shallow freezer-safe meal containers (paid link) portions and refrigerate promptly. Close and label once chilled, then freeze.
How to Know It Is Ready
Chicken and completed pasta filling reach 165°F / 74°C.
Tender intact tubes holding a moist chicken-ricotta filling.
One quarter of the pasta, filling, sauce and cheese, usually two tubes.
What This Meal Provides and What to Consider
Meal Balance
- The measured batch supplies about 44.6 g protein per serving.
- Vegetables and the listed grain or legume portions make this a full meal, rather than a protein-only snack.
Things to Consider
- Contains wheat and milk.
- Chicken must reach 165°F / 74°C before mixing, and the hot combined filling must also reach that temperature.
Who May Enjoy This Recipe?
Freezer meal planning
People looking for a practical meal with a measured grain, protein or legume component.
Home cooking
The quantity is controlled by dry pasta weight rather than a universal tube count. Eight tubes are a practical example; if your package differs, each serving remains one quarter of the entire recipe.
Measured portions
People who want to understand how ingredient weights relate to a four-serving batch.
How to Adjust the Meal
Smaller appetite
Serve a smaller portion and save the rest. Recalculate nutrition for the portion you actually eat rather than labeling an unchanged serving low-calorie.
Larger appetite
Add vegetables or another suitable accompaniment, and include those ingredients in the meal calculation.
Protein adjustments
If changing raw boneless skinless chicken breast, check its product label and recalculate. A larger amount may also change texture and cooking requirements.
Substitutions, Dietary Notes, and Allergens
Practical Substitutions
- Use cooked turkey breast starting from the same raw weight, cooking to 165°F / 74°C and recalculating.
- Use fresh spinach cooked down and squeezed to the same 250 g final weight; raw leaves are not a direct weight replacement.
Allergen Information
Contains wheat and milk.
Check packaged ingredient labels for the allergens relevant to you. A substitution changes both the recipe and the calculation.
Storage and Meal Preparation
Refrigerate perishable food within 2 hours, or within 1 hour when the surroundings exceed 90°F (32°C). Use shallow containers and a refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or colder. Use cooked leftovers within 3–4 days; reheat hot leftovers to 165°F (74°C). Keep clean ready-to-eat sauces separate when that helps preserve texture.
Freezing This Meal
Freeze fully cooked, chilled portions with sauce at 0°F / −18°C for up to 2–3 months for best texture.
Thawing and Reheating
Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat covered at 350°F / 175°C in a suitable baking dish, or microwave with a suitable cover and rotate midway. Check the center of each tube reaches 165°F / 74°C; add a small splash of water if sauce thickens.
Preparation and cooking times describe making the fresh batch. Chilling, freezer storage, thawing and later reheating require additional time. Do not thaw perishable meals on the counter.
Frequently Asked Questions
A plain food-safe piping bag can help if the chicken is finely minced. A small spoon also works. If using a reusable bag, clean it thoroughly and do not reuse a bag that held raw meat.
Not with this exact method. No-boil tubes may need more liquid and a longer covered bake. Follow the product directions and adapt the sauce and cooking checks.
The listed ingredients provide an estimated 44.6 g protein per one quarter of the batch. Brands and portions can change this value.
Use the 2× or 3× control for gram quantities and serving count. Keep the per-serving estimate as a base guide; use larger cookware or batches and check doneness rather than multiplying the cooking time.
Nutrition Sources and Recipe Notes
These values are planning estimates, not individualized nutrition advice. Use the labels for your exact products when precision is important. The recipe has not been kitchen-tested and the image is a generated illustration of the intended dish.
Nutrition Data Sources
See our Nutrition Calculation Methodology for weights, rounding and substitutions.
Food Safety Reference
Freezer Storage Reference
Recipe development note: this page does not claim independent kitchen testing. The image is illustrative and does not document a tested result. Ingredient-based nutrition estimates can change with brands, weighing state, preparation and serving size; use exact labels when precision matters.
Useful Tools for This Recipe
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The links below are paid affiliate links.
These are the tools used in the preparation above. Use suitable equipment you already own, or compare options if you need an item.
Instant-read food thermometer
Check the stated safe center temperature rather than relying on surface color alone.
Compare on Amazon →Paid link · opens in a new tabLidded saucepan
Cook the smaller component or side described in the method.
Compare on Amazon →Paid link · opens in a new tabLarge lidded cooking pot
Choose a pot large enough for the batch, with a well-fitting lid and a base suitable for your stove.
Compare on Amazon →Paid link · opens in a new tabColander
Drain the noodles without leaving excess cooking water.
Compare on Amazon →Paid link · opens in a new tabChef’s knife
Cut the recipe ingredients into the specified sizes.
Compare on Amazon →Paid link · opens in a new tabCutting board
Use a clean preparation surface and separate raw meat from ready-to-eat food.
Compare on Amazon →Paid link · opens in a new tabMixing bowls
Keep wet mixtures, coatings or fillings organized during preparation.
Compare on Amazon →Paid link · opens in a new tabCooking spoon
Stir sauces and fillings and divide the measured cooked ingredients.
Compare on Amazon →Paid link · opens in a new tabOven-safe baking dish
Choose a roomy 2.5–3-quart / 2.5–3-liter dish, or multiple smaller dishes. Follow temperature-change instructions and avoid thermal shock.
Compare on Amazon →Paid link · opens in a new tabOven gloves
Protect your hands when moving the hot tray or oven-safe pan.
Compare on Amazon →Paid link · opens in a new tabFreezer-safe meal containers
Choose shallow containers rated for freezing, with suitable expansion space. Transfer food to oven-safe cookware for oven reheating unless the maker explicitly permits it.
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