I have the perfect date night dinner for you. Creamy goat cheese filled manicotti atop a bed of savory, garlicky wilted spinach and topped with bright sautéed tomatoes and shallots. This dish is so good. And I mean so with lots of ooooooos after the s good.
One of the prize aspects of this dish is that it comes together so quickly, at the under 30 minute mark, which is one of the top prerequisites for my date night dinner rules.
Date night dinners at home must be quick and easy, must be beautiful to look at, and above all must be delicious. Consider the boxes all checked. I had the pleasure to film with my friend Kenice, and she was certainly game to learn a fabulous date night recipe for she and hubby, Chris. Check out the super fun video on our YouTube channel.
For the manicotti filling I combined both goat cheese and cream cheese, although mascarpone would be equally wonderful in place of the cream cheese. I used one of my favorite shortcut ingredients, jarred pesto. Using the pesto gives you all the flavor that you need for the filling with nothing lacking.
I mix the filling together and then use a piping bag to very easily pipe the filling into the manicotti that has been boiled and then cooled until it can be handled easily. If you don't have a piping bag, a large zip lock bag works equally well.
The tomatoes are quickly sautéed with shallots and garlic just until they begin to soften and all the flavors of the garlic and shallot combine with the sweet tomatoes. A splash of white wine finishes out this vibrant and beautiful tomato topping. I used multi-colored grape tomatoes, but any sweet small tomatoes work.
I also make very simple garlicky wilted spinach that comes together in about 60 seconds with a drizzle of olive oil.
The whole dish is presented just like a five star restaurant, layering first the wilted spinach, then the beautifully filled manicotti, and then topped with those gorgeous tomatoes. At this point you can add a sprinkling of fresh herbs like parsley, a little bit of chili flake or even a few shavings of Parmesan. Let your best chefy self come out.
See if this doesn't impress at your next date night dinner. Goat Cheese Filled Manicotti with Garlicky Spinach and Sauted Tomatoes Perfect Date Night Dinner 4 Servings 8 manicotti tubes, cooked according to package directions and cooled to the point you can easily handled them (*see cook's note) 8 ounces goat cheese at room temperature 8 ounces cream cheese or mascarpone (Italian cream cheese) at room temperature 1 pint cherry tomatoes (I love the multi colored ones), cut in half lengthwise 1 heaping tablespoon jarred pesto 1/4 cup white wine 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1 shallot, sliced 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 bag baby spinach 1 teaspoon course sea salt, divided 1 teaspoon chili flake, divided (optional). I love to use Aleppo chili flakes for their smoky, florally nature 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided And a medium nonstick skillet over medium low heat, drizzle in 1 tablespoon olive oil then add the shallots. Let the shallots cook for 2 to 3 minutes until they begin to soften, but not become brown. Add in the tomatoes, white wine, half of the minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon chili flake if using and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Stir to combine and saute about 3 minutes until the tomatoes start to release their juices and melt down just a bit. Remove to a bowl and keep warm. Wipe the skillet with a paper towel. While the tomatoes are cooking, mix together the cheeses and pesto. Using a piping bag or large ziplock bag, spoon the mixture into the bag, snip off the tip and squeeze the filling into each manicotti focusing on trying to fill the centers of the manicotti tubes since the cheese mixture will want to ooze out the sides when cooked. Add the manicotti to the same skillet you cooked the tomatoes in. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side until the manicotti becomes a little golden. It's ok if the filling wants to seep a bit out of the sides. Spinach - While the manicotti cooks, add the remaining olive oil, garlic, spinach, salt, chili flake if using, and pepper to a skillet and cook over medium heat for about 1 minute until the spinach wilts down. To serve, place 1/4th of the spinach on a plate. Top with 2 manicotti, then 1/4th of the tomato mixture. Garnish as desired. I love a sprinkling of parsley and some extra chili flake. Optional Garnishes Chopped Parsley Chili Flake Shaved Parmesan *Cook's Note - When precooking the manicotti you can drain, place on a small oiled sheet pan and coat with a bit of olive oil so that it doesn't dry out while you prepare the filling. I cover the sheet pan then with plastic wrap until I'm ready to use the manicotti.
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Greetings!Mariann Taylor here of Taylor Kitchen. My husband and I created this site, Pinterest and Instagram accounts, and affiliated YouTube channel as an outlet for one of my passions....cooking. I love to cook and my husband, Tim, is a willing participant in my culinary escapades, as well as chief taste tester. We hope you'll join us, try some TaylorKitchen creations and like and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Categories
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