Every Italian food lover needs a great recipe for homemade manicotti! Make your crepes from scratch (it’s not hard!) and load them with a four-cheese and spinach filling. Top them with my marinara sauce!
Guess what? This is my first post for Food Fanatic, where I’ll be a regular contributor!
I’ll be the Italian Food Fanatic, in case my homemade manicotti with spinach didn’t give it away.
And by “Italian food,” I mean some authentic recipes, some with an Italian twist…but all of them delizioso.
Today’s homemade manicotti is a heavy hitter. This is the real deal, folks. Boxed pasta is great for everyday meals, but for authentic manicotti, you need to bust out crepes (crespelle) from scratch.
Don’t worry, though. It’s easier than you think. If you can make pancakes, you can make these crepes.
This recipe makes them thick, sturdy and pasta-like, so there’s no need to worry about flimsy crepes that tear. You’ll fill them with a delicious blend of ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, Romano and spinach — oh yes, my friends. Then, you’ll top them with my marinara or Pork Rib Tomato Sauce and extra Parmesan before baking them to hot, cheesy perfection.
There are few things better in life. You’ll want to pronounce them correctly, so it’s “mah nee coh tee,” for the record.
I’ll never forget when, as a teenager, I invited my girlfriend over for dinner. She’s not Italian and had no clue what Mom was saying as she offered her some manicotti.
“Huh?” My friend was puzzled.
“Would you like some (mah nee coh tee)?” Mom repeated.
“Huh?”
“WOULD YOU LIKE SOME MANNA CODDY?” I interjected, anxious to end the awkward moment. (#Italianproblems)
“Oh!” Now my friend understood. “Yes, I’d love some!”
Make this homemade manicotti with spinach for Easter, special occasions or a fabulous Sunday dinner. But, please, whatever you do, don’t call them “manna coddy.”
Enjoy!
(Recipe Source: Adapted from my Mom. Homemade Manicotti recipe originally published on Food Fanatic.)
Marjorie
I’m looking forward to making this but I wanted to let you know that the link to you’re marinara sauce doesn’t work. I thought you’d want to know.
Mamma C
Hi Marjorie – Thanks so much for letting me know! It looks like the link in the text of the post is working, but the link in the notes of the recipe card is not. I wrote that post for Food Fanatic, and we are trying to get that fixed. Meanwhile, here is my marinara sauce recipe.
Annabelle
Silly question (some may say “dumb question”) but does a serving for 6 mean it should make 12 or 6 M.C’s?
Mamma C
Hi Annabelle – The recipe makes 12 crepes, so 2 per person.
Rachel
Hello! I making this Italian dish all the time but with store bought noodles. I am going to try the crepes this weekend! How can I make it 2 days ahead? Just the crepes…or can I make the whole thing and freeze it? Thank you!
Rachel
Mamma C
Hi Rachel – I’ve never tried it, but I think you could make the crepes, fill them and cover them with sauce two days ahead of time without baking them. Just keep them tightly covered in the refrigerator. You then could bring them to room temperature before baking, or just bake them a little longer. I’ve never tried freezing them.
Joann
I just finished making these…so fun!
Never in a million years did I think I would make crepes for manicotti (vs store bought pasta tubes or my fresh pasta). This was so much easier than I expected!! And they smell divine (like pasta) 😍
Emily came home with a friend and got so excited about dinner later….so now they are staying here to eat instead of going out 😂
Can’t wait to have them…you rock 😎
Mamma C
I’m so excited, Joann! They are much easier than they appear. We love these, and I hope you all do too!
Lindsay Cotter
Congratulations on being added as a contributor on Food Fanatic! This homemade manicotti is a comfort food winner! Taking the time to make your own homemade crepes is such an extra special touch! Nicely done!
Mamma C
Thank you, Lindsay! I had to learn to make these, since both my Mom and mother-in-law make them from scratch!
Kim @ Three Olives Branch
This looks wonderful! Love the crepe version that you use. So many filling options, too, but I love the classic cheese!
Mamma C
The crepes are so easy to make — they only need to be cooked on one side, so no flipping. Thanks, Kim!
Lisa Bryan | Downshiftology
I remember eating sooo much manicotti when I traveled through Italy. Yum!
Mamma C
They’re one of life’s great pleasures! Thanks, Lisa!
Ellen
Your homemade manicotti looks divine. A nice twist for Italian night.
Mamma C
Thanks, Ellen! We love these.
Jacqueline Meldrum
I have to admit to drooling over these. I’ve never made these before or had them in a restaurant, although I have heard of them. I have pinned them to try them sometime soon.
Mamma C
They’re not too hard to make, Jacqueline! I hope you enjoy them.