Authentic Homemade Italian Manicotti Recipe
This authentic homemade Italian manicotti recipe is one of the best out there! With manicotti shells made from crepes and a rich ricotta cheese filling, this comforting pasta dish is perfect for Sunday dinner or the holiday season.
Ingredients
Crepe Batter
- 1 cup whole milk
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- unsalted butter for greasing the pan
Manicotti
- 15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups old school italian gravy or marinara sauce
- ¼ cup grated pecorino romano cheese
Instructions
- First, combine the milk, eggs, flour and salt in a blender and blend on high for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and blend for another 10-15 seconds. Place in the refrigerator to chill while the filling is made.
- In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, parsley, egg, salt and pepper. Mix together until everything is well combined and then place in the refrigerator to chill while the crepes are made.
- Heat a griddle pan or crepe pan over medium low on the stovetop until hot and then and grease lightly with the butter.
- Pour approximately ¼ cup of the chilled batter in the pan while swirling it around so the batter evenly coats it in a thin layer.
- Let the crepe cook for 30-60 seconds until it's no longer shiny and the edges start to pull away from the sides.
- Gently flip over and cook an additional 15-30 seconds until just set. Remove and place on a plate and repeat with the remaining batter until you have 6-8 crepes.
- Preheat the oven to 350˚ and spread 2 cups of the sauce on the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish.
- Spread approximately ⅓ cup of the filling mixture down the middle of each crepe and gently rolll them up.
- Place the filled crepes seam side down in the baking dish on top of the sauce and sprinkle with the pecorino romano cheese.
- Bake the manicotti in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese and crepe edges are lightly browned.
Notes
- Crepes - Use store-bought crepes or manicotti pasta tubes instead of homemade crepes, if needed. Depending on the size of the pan used, the batter will make approximately 6-8 crepes.
- Cheese - Use full-fat, whole milk cheese and strain the ricotta cheese for a thick, smooth filling that isn't watery or gritty.
- Meat - Add cooked ground beef or Italian sausage to the filling.
- Spinach - Add chopped sautéed spinach to the filling.
- Make Ahead - The crepes and filling can be made up to 24 hours ahead of time. Cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The entire dish can be assembled up to 2 days ahead of time. Wrap the dish in plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator. To freeze, wrap the dish in foil as well and store for up to 2 months. Individual rolled and filled manicotti can be frozen on a sheet pan and transferred to a ziptop bag for easy storage. Frozen manicotti should be defrosted in the refrigerator first. Baking times for make-ahead manicotti will be slightly longer.
Nutrition
Serving: 1crepeCalories: 420kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 26gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 222mgSodium: 1320mgPotassium: 621mgFiber: 2gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 1465IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 455mgIron: 3mg
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