My family loved this Butternut Squash and Spinach Manicotti! Classic baked manicotti filled with roasted butternut squash and spinach — a cozy, fall-inspired pasta dish.
Lately I’ve been working on patience. It’s not something I’ve ever been great at, and between a busy schedule and a feeling of constant disorganization, I’ve noticed my patience wearing thin. I’m trying to change that — and one practical place where it matters is in the kitchen. When I’m rushed, it’s hard to include the kids in cooking, and that makes me wish I slowed down more often.
When I cook quickly, it’s less inviting for little helpers. Baking and slow, hands-on recipes especially demand time and calm. But when I take the extra minutes to include my children, the results are worth it: they learn, help, and enjoy what we make together. That’s exactly what happened the other weekend when my daughter and I spent a whole Sunday cooking this manicotti together.
With my son at basketball games and the day free, my daughter and I roasted squash, mixed the filling, and filled the pasta shells as a team. There was no rush to get anywhere, and we even made extra to share with my husband’s parents. Seeing her enjoy cooking — learning the taste of butternut squash, practicing piping the ricotta mixture into shells, and deciding she wants her own blog — warmed my heart. I found the whole afternoon gently nudged me toward being more patient.
Photos of her helping in the kitchen remind me how quickly kids grow, and how simple moments like these stick with us. Including them in cooking is a way to slow down, teach useful skills, and make family meals more meaningful. And yes, it made me stop and appreciate the little things — like the smell of baking pasta and roasted squash.
Now for the good part: the recipe. This Butternut Squash and Spinach Manicotti was a family favorite — rich, savory, and comforting. Roasting the squash ahead of time makes assembly easier. The combination of ricotta, nutmeg, parmesan, butternut squash, and spinach creates a creamy, flavorful filling that bakes into tender pasta shells topped with marinara and melted mozzarella.
Print Recipe
Butternut Squash and Spinach Manicotti
Ingredients:
- 1 package manicotti shells
- 1 cup cooked butternut squash
- 10 oz package chopped spinach, defrosted
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 2 eggs
- 1 large container whole-milk ricotta cheese
- about 3 cups marinara sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
Directions:
- To cook the butternut squash: Peel and cut the squash into 1″ pieces. Toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and roast at 425°F for about 25 minutes, until tender and lightly browned.
- Cook the manicotti shells according to package directions. Drain and set aside so they are ready to fill.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Make the filling: In a large bowl combine ricotta, eggs, nutmeg, Parmesan, chopped spinach, and the cooked butternut squash. For easier filling, spoon the mixture into a large zip-top bag, snip a 1/2″ corner, and pipe into the shells. Alternatively, spoon the filling into each shell.
- Spoon about 1/4 cup marinara into the bottom of a glass baking dish. Fill each cooked pasta shell with the ricotta mixture and line them in the dish. Pour the remaining marinara evenly over the manicotti and sprinkle with mozzarella.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is melted. Let rest a few minutes before serving.
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Ideas for leftover butternut squash:
Try using leftover roasted squash in pasta, enchiladas, salads, or on toast with ricotta. It reheats well and adds a sweet, nutty flavor to many dishes.