Authentic Homemade Italian Manicotti with Crepes

The best manicotti is made with crepes instead of store-bought pasta tubes. It makes the manicotti super delicate, with the perfect texture that creates a delicious, comforting dish the whole family will love.

Traditionally, authentic Italian manicotti is made with crepes, not pasta. They are filled with a ricotta cheese mixture and baked with a layer of sauce and cheese on top.

This authentic Italian manicotti recipe would be a great dish served with Italian seafood salad and struffoli on Christmas Eve or with Italian rice balls for Sunday family dinner.

🍅 Ingredient notes

• Crepes - Instead of store bought manicotti tubes made from pasta, the shells are made from homemade crepes. Instead of making them homemade, pre-made crepes can sometimes be found in the grocery store. The filling recipe can also be used with store bought manicotti noodles.
• Cheese - The ricotta cheese filling is made using the following Italian cheeses - whole milk ricotta cheese, freshly grated parmesan cheese, and mozzarella cheese. I recommend using full fat, freshly grated cheeses if possible. Low fat, part skim, or pre-shredded cheeses can sometimes make the filling gritty or watery.
• Sauce - Use my homemade Italian Sunday Gravy Recipe or 30-Minute Marinara. Store-bought will also work just fine.

📋 Substitutions and variations

• Meat - Cooked ground beef or Italian sausage can be added to the cheese filling mixture for a heartier dish.
• Spinach - Add some chopped sautéed spinach to the cheese filling for a nice green color and extra veggies.

🔪 Step by step instructions

First, combine all of the ingredients for the crepe mixture in a blender and blend until smooth. Place the blender in the refrigerator to chill while the filling is made.

Next, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese in a large bowl with the parsley, eggs, salt, and pepper. Mix until well combined and place in the refrigerator to chill while the crepes are made.

Heat a greased griddle pan or crepe pan over medium-low heat on the stovetop. Pour approximately ¼ cup of the batter on the pan while swirling it around so the batter evenly coats the bottom in a thin layer.

Cook the batter for 30-60 seconds until it's no longer shiny and the edges pull away from the sides. Gently flip and cook for another 15-30 seconds until just set.

Repeat with the remaining batter until you have at least 6-8 crepes. Spread the bottom of a baking dish with 2 cups of sauce and then set it aside.

Spread approximately ⅓ cup of the ricotta filling down the center of each crepe. Roll them up and place them seam side down in the baking or casserole dish on top of the sauce.

Top the crepes with the cup of the remaining marinara sauce and then sprinkle with the pecorino romano cheese.

Bake the cheese manicotti in a 350˚ oven for 25-30 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese and crepe edges are lightly browned.

⭐ Expert tips

• Strain the ricotta cheese wrapped up in a tea towel or cheesecloth over a bowl in the refrigerator for 2 hours or up to overnight. This will make sure our filling is not runny.
• Make sure to scrape down the sides of the blender when making the crepe batter so that all of the ingredients are well combined.
• A flat griddle type pan or crepe pan will make it easiest to flip the crepes. At a minimum, use something that is non-stick so they are easier to flip.
• Depending on the size pan used, the batter will make approximately 12-14 crepes. Approximately 6-8 filled crepes will fit in each 9x13" baking dish.
• Cook the crepes in a thin layer until they are just set. It's ok if they are lightly browned, but if they start to get too brown, lower the heat.
• Use a rubber spatula to flip the crepes gently so they do not tear. If they tear, you can still use them, they just may be a bit harder to roll up with the filling.
• Spread the filling all the way down the center of the crepes before rolling them up so the filling is evenly distributed.

⏲️ Make ahead instructions

• Crepes - The crepes can be made up to 24 hours ahead of time. Cool them completely and then store them on a plate wrapped in plastic wrap or in a ziptop bag until you are ready to fill the manicotti the next day.
• Filling - The filling can also be made up to 24 hours ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
• Manicotti (Fridge) - The unbaked homemade manicotti can be made up to 2 days ahead of time and stored in the baking dish, wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator. Take the dish out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking or you may need an extra 10-15 minutes of cook time. The baked manicotti can also be cooled completely and stored wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 3 days. Reheat the pre-baked manicotti in the oven until heated through.
• Manicotti (Freezer) - Rolled manicotti with the filling can be placed on a sheet pan and frozen, then transferred to a ziptop bag for easy storage. The entire dish can also be assembled with the tomato sauce and stored wrapped in plastic wrap and then in foil in the freezer. Manicotti will last up to 2 months. Frozen rolled manicotti or the entire dish should be defrosted in the refrigerator before cooking in the oven.

🍅 More Italian comfort food recipes

If you loved this authentic Italian manicotti recipe, check out these other Italian comfort food recipes that I know you will love too!

• Baked Mostaccioli
• No Fry Eggplant Parmesan
• Authentic Pasta Fagioli
• Italian Beef Braciole