Baked Manicotti
Our baked manicotti recipe utilizes homemade shells, ricotta cheese, tomato sauce, and fragrant herbs to provide a satisfying meal with endless possibilities. With its hearty ingredients, this comforting dish will become a staple in your home! In just 50 minutes, you can have an Italian-inspired masterpiece that will soon have everyone asking: “Can I have this recipe?”
This is my friend Devon’s baked manicotti recipe. She made these manicotti for me soon after we met and I became so enamored with them I wanted to taste them again, and again, and again.
The secret to this recipe is you use homemade manicotti shells. Once you’ve tasted this recipe, you’ll see that other recipes can’t compete with Devon’s homemade version.
And making your own shells doesn’t take much longer than if you were to boil store-bought manicotti noodles.
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Helpful
Tips
- Take out the eggs an hour before making this recipe. You want the eggs to be at room temperature before making the batter.
- After making the crepe batter, it must sit for at least a half hour before starting to cook it.
- You can use store-bought pasta sauce if you want, but homemade is so much better, and my Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce (made with or without Italian sausage) recipe is super easy to make! If you do get store-bought, marinara sauce is a great choice.
- Try not to use a non-stick Teflon pan to make the crepes. Teflon is not good for you. Instead, invest in a good cast iron pan that is naturally non-stick, if seasoned correctly.
- Also, while I’m on my soapbox, don’t use commercial cooking sprays; instead, use a natural cooking spray like this olive oil spray.
- When making the crepes, don’t stress if they form little legs as you swirl the batter around. It won’t matter when you build the manicotti.
- Bake the manicotti on a jelly roll pan or a cookie sheet. They’re easier to serve from a surface without high sides. But if you prefer, you can use a baking dish.
- To make sure all the crepes have the ricotta mixture, dollop the mixture on all the crepes before rolling them up.
- If you have any leftovers, you can store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container for a week. This recipe also freezes well. Just take them out the night before so they can defrost in the fridge.
How to make baked manicotti
Pre-step
Take the eggs out at least an hour before making the crepes. (A) Gather the flour, salt, and mixing bowl. Also place a few wire racks on the counter and lay parchment paper on top in preparation to cool the cooked crepes.
Step one
After an hour, crack the eggs in the bowl, add flour, salt, and whisk until combined. (B)
IMPORTANT: Let the crepe batter rest for a half hour.
Step two
After the hour is up, heat the sauté pan on medium and once it heats up, spray it with the olive oil spray. Using a small serving ladle, add about 2 – 3 tablespoons of crepe batter in the pan. Gently swirl the pan to spread the batter so it forms a circle. Don’t stress if little legs form.
Stand there and when the crepe looks shiny but not wet, it’s done. Remove to the parchment paper covered wire racks. (C)
Step three
On a cutting board, cut the block of fresh mozzarella into cubes and gather the ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, an egg, salt, ground black pepper, and dried parsley. (D)
Step four
Add the cheeses, herbs and egg to another mixing bowl. (E)
Step five
Mix the cheese mixture together with a spatula until combined. (F)
Assembling the stuffed manicotti
Step six
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and take out the pasta sauce (gravy) you’ll be using. I’m using this recipe.
Get a large jelly roll pan and add some gravy in the bottom of it.
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Step seven
Spoon the ricotta mixture on each crepe to make sure every one has filling. (G)
Step eight
Roll each crepe up around the ricotta filling and lay them face down in the jelly roll pan. (H)
Step nine
Ladle gravy on top of the manicotti. (I)
Step ten
Sprinkle shredded mozzarella on the manicotti. (J)
Step eleven
Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until the gravy is bubbly and the mozzarella is melted.
Look at that baked manicotti.
DONE!
Time to serve them.
Take a metal spatula (thin and flexible is ideal), ease it between two manicotti and scoop them out onto the plate. I consider two manicotti to be a single serving.
I added Italian sausage and more sauce.
Christopher is standing behind me looking over my shoulder. His silence speaks volumes. He’s hungry and ready to eat. And so am I.
I hope you enjoyed this baked manicotti recipe!
How to reheat leftover manicotti
From the fridge: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Place the manicotti in an oven-safe dish and cover it with foil to prevent it from drying out. If it seems a little dry, add a small splash of marinara sauce or a few tablespoons of water to the dish. Heat for about 20–25 minutes, or until warmed through.
From the freezer: Let the manicotti thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Once thawed, follow the same steps as above to reheat in the oven. Cover tightly with foil if reheating directly from frozen, and bake at 350°F for about 40–50 minutes, checking occasionally. Remove the foil during the last 10 minutes for a bubbly, golden top.
Other popular Italian dishes
As always, may all your dishes be delish!
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Baked Manicotti
Ingredients
Crepe Batter
- 3 eggs (room temperature)
- 3/4 cup spelt flour (or all purpose white flour)
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Ricotta Filling
- 1 pound ricotta cheese (I use full fat)
- 4 ounces fresh mozzarella (cubed)
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
Extras
- 2 cups homemade red sauce (divided – or store-bought spaghetti sauce)
- 2 ounces shredded mozzarella
Instructions
- Take out the eggs an hour before you plan to use them.3 eggs
Batter
- In a medium bowl, add the eggs, flour and salt.3/4 cup spelt flour, 1/8 teaspoon salt
- Whisk together or use a hand mixer until incorporated. Let the batter rest for a half hour.
Filling
- In a medium bowl add ricotta cheese, diced mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, egg, salt, pepper and parsley and mix with a rubber spatula until combined.1 pound ricotta cheese, 4 ounces fresh mozzarella, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 1 egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, 1 tablespoon dried parsley
Making the Crepes
- Heat a crepe pan or a sauté pan on medium heat. Spray a little natural cooking spray in the pan.
- With a gravy ladle, add batter into the pan and swirl it around to spread the batter (2 – 3 tablespoons worth).
- Cook until the top is dry, but the bottom is not brown (it should take about one minute for each crepe). Place the finished crepe on a wire rack lined with parchment paper to cool.
- Repeat until batter is all gone.
Assembling and Baking
- Preheat oven 350 F
- Spoon some red sauce to cover the bottom of a jelly roll pan.2 cups homemade red sauce
- Lay out all the crepes and spoon some ricotta mixture on each one, using all the filling. Roll the crepes and place them seam-side down on the sauce.
- Repeat until all the crepes are rolled and placed.
- Liberally ladle red sauce on top of the manicotti. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella on top.2 cups homemade red sauce, 2 ounces shredded mozzarella
- Bake uncovered for 30 minutes until bubbly and the cheese is melted.
- Carefully separate the manicotti into sets of two
- Plate, smile, and enjoy.
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-
- Take out the eggs an hour before making this recipe. You want the eggs to be at room temperature before making the batter.
- After making the crepe batter, it must sit for at least a half hour before cooking it.
- You can use store-bought pasta sauce if you want, but homemade is so much better, and my Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce (made with or without Italian sausage) recipe is super easy to make! If you do get store-bought, marinara sauce is a great choice.
- Try not to use a non-stick Teflon pan to make the crepes. Teflon is not good for you. Instead, invest in a good cast iron pan that is naturally non-stick, if seasoned correctly.
- When making the crepes, don’t stress if they form little legs as you swirl the batter around. It won’t matter when you build the manicotti.
- Bake the manicotti on a jelly roll pan or a cookie sheet. They’re easier to serve from a surface without high sides. But if you prefer, you can use a baking dish.
- To make sure all the crepes have the ricotta mixture, dollop the mixture on all the crepes before rolling them up.
- If you have any leftovers, you can store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container for a week. This recipe also freezes well.
These are delish!! I haven’t made them in awhile, but you may have just inspired me to make them again. They’ve always been a hit at family gatherings and I have one coming up soon.
Thanks Dev. And thank you for the recipe.
My mother-in-law is full-blood Italian and these are just like how she makes them! So happy to have a recipe that my husband feels is just as good as his family makes ;)!
Thanks Kelli! I’m 1/4 Italian and funnily enough, I got this recipe from my Irish friend! Hehe. Go figure!
This is absolutely delicious! I love that everyone ate it and asked for seconds.
Thanks Shadi!
This baked manicotti recipe is foolproof with your step by step directions and great tips. Wonderful recipe.
Thank you Kelly. I appreciate it.
Once you make these manicotti, you will never need to look for another recipe. They are that good! Better than from a restaurant!
Thank you so much Pam. That is so sweet of you to say and I’m glad you enjoyed them.
I have to agree with you Manicotti made with a crepe instead of the store bought pasta is far superior . I total forgot about this method. I am making this for my family next week, your recipe sounds fabulous.
Thanks so much Debbie! I hope you all enjoy them!
I love that you made your own shells—this is how you make homemade manicotti! 😀 I made this for dinner tonight, but I’m feeling inspired to make it again for my family over the weekend.
Thank you, Tammy.
Thank you Laura! It’s one of my favorite, go-to Italian recipes! Enjoy!
Definitely Laura!