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    Home » Main Courses

    Homemade Manicotti [with GF Option]

    Published: Nov 7, 2018 by Sherri Hall · This post may contain affiliate links.

    pin showing manicotti in baking dish with one missing and text title overlay

    This homemade manicotti is a cheesy, hearty and deliciously satisfying meatless Italian meal the whole family will love. Making the manicotti shells (crepes or crespelle) from scratch is easier than you think and totally worth it! And it's easy to make them gluten-free too.

    Jump to Recipe
    two manicotti on a white plate with fork in front and one of them half eaten with cheese showing

    My dad has been making homemade manicotti since I can remember, and it was always one of my favorites.

    I looked forward to having it for every holiday...Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving...

    OK, maybe not Thanksgiving.

    But it felt like we were the only ones having Italian food during the holidays while all of my friends were eating ham.

    Trust me, I wasn't complaining. I'll take some pasta oozing with three kinds of cheese over ham any day.

    Jump to:
    • How to make homemade manicotti - step by step
    • How to make a gluten-free version
    • Frequently asked questions
    • Related recipes
    • Recipe
    overhead of baked manicotti in baking dish with a spoon in it and one piece missing

    Growing up, I definitely ate my fair share of Italian food.

    My dad is 50% Italian and taught me all of his family recipes...well, almost all of them. He can't seem to find his grandmother's recipe for knot cookies.

    I remember visiting my her as a child at her row house in Newark, New Jersey.  I have no idea why, but I called her "Big Grandma."

    She lived in a very Italian neighborhood.

    In fact, instead of an ice cream truck, an Italian ice truck visited her street in the summer months.

    That truck had the best chocolate Italian ice! 

    Anyway, Big Grandma grew lots of delicious herbs in her driveway garden, cooked monstrous pots of homemade sauce and baked the most delicious Italian knot cookies one has ever tasted.

    I hope one day my dad finds the recipe!

    one and a half manicotti on a white plate with a fork

    To be completely honest, I never thought I'd end up making this by myself.

    Since it was my dad's signature dish, I kind of enjoyed having him make it for me.

    The whole process just seemed so tedious. I didn't realize it was actually pretty easy until I finally broke down and actually made it.

    How to make homemade manicotti - step by step

    Make the filling

    First, prepare this ricotta cheese mixture consisting of ricotta, mozzarella, grated cheese, eggs, parsley and black pepper for the filling.

    Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. 

    Make the crepes (crespelle) aka "the shells" for the manicotti

    Preheat your oven to 350°F and lay out two sheets of parchment or wax paper on the counter.

    Now, prepare the crepe (crespelle) batter.

    In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and milk together with handheld electric mixer. 

    Eggs and milk in a bowl

    Add flour and beat with handheld mixer until there are no lumps.

    Beating the egg, milk and flour mixture

    Lightly grease an 8-inch nonstick pan by spraying some oil on a paper towel and wiping your pan with it. 

    Heat pan over medium heat. 

    When the pan is hot, add approximately ¼ cup batter to the center of the pan and swirl to cover the bottom of the pan.

    Pouring the batter into the pan

    Cook until the sides are set and start to separate from pan.

    The middle should be almost set but not quite (approximately 15-20 seconds).

    Using a spatula to prepare to flip the manicotti (crepe) shell in the pan

    Carefully lift edge with spatula and quickly flip crepe over.

    Flipping the manicotti (crepe) shell

    Cook for 15-20 seconds more (crepe should be a light golden brown).

    The manicotti (crepe) shell flipped to reveal the other side

    Use the spatula to remove the crepe from skillet and place onto the parchment or wax paper.

    Cooked manicotti shells (crepes) placed separately on parchment paper

    Repeat with the remaining batter, continuing to grease pan as needed until you’ve used up your batter. 

    Assemble the manicotti

    Once all the crepes are done, lightly line the bottoms of two 13” x 9” baking dishes with tomato sauce and set aside. 

    Add approximately ⅓ cup of the ricotta cheese filling toward the bottom of one of the crepe shells.

    Press down slightly but don’t let cheese go past the edges.

    A scoop of ricotta cheese filling toward the edge of a manicotti shell (crepe)

    Roll up tightly and place seam side down into baking dish.

    Folding up a manicotti shell (crepe) stuffed with ricotta cheese filling
    Almost done rolling up stuffed manicotti shell (crepe)

    Top and bake

    Once all the manicotti are in the baking dishes, top with remaining sauce and mozzarella cheese.

    Sprinkling mozzarella cheese on top of manicotti in a glass baking dish

    Cover and bake for 30 minutes. 

    Uncover and bake for 15-20 more minutes.

    overhead shot of baked manicotti in a glass baking dish after cooking

    How to make a gluten-free version

    After Greg adopted a gluten-free diet, I found myself in a pickle.

    How was I going to make gluten-free crepes for the manicotti and stay true to my dad's original recipe?

    Enter chickpea flour.

    Once I discovered this gem of an ingredient, my whole world changed.

    Seriously, for once I'm actually not being sarcastic. 😉

    After trying out chickpea flour in other recipes, I knew this was the right flour for the job.

    It's also a good source of fiber and protein as well as other nutrients, which to me, makes it even more awesome.

    So, I invited my dad over on Father's Day to test it out! The result?

    me and my dad making manicotti together

    WE HAD A WINNER!

    • me about to eat a piece of manicotti on a fork
    • me giving thumbs up after tasting the manicotti

    There were just a few adjustments to be made to the measurements and bam! It was perfect! Even the kids were gaga over it!

    In fact, my eldest asked me to teach her how to make it. So, we made it together for this blog post.

    Now, we have three generations of manicotti-makers in the family!

    Would you like to join us as an honorary member of our manicotti-making family? We'd love to have you. 🙂

    Frequently asked questions

    Can I make manicotti the night before?

    Yes, you can definitely make this dish a day ahead of time. Prepare as directed up until baking. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator. Remove from the refrigerator and keep on the counter at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.

    Storing and reheating leftovers

    Store leftover baked manicotti in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Reheat covered in a 350° F oven or in the microwave until warmed throughout.

    Can I freeze homemade manicotti?

    Yes, you can either freeze before baking or after. If freezing the whole batch, be sure to wrap tightly with a layer of plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil. If freezing individually, freeze in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before baking/reheating.

    Related recipes

    • Lentil Pasta Baked Ziti
    • Gluten-Free Cacio e Pepe
    • Impossible Burger Meatballs
    • Lentil Pasta with Roasted Garlic, Broccoli and a Creamy Red Pepper Sauce

    Recipe

    overhead of manicotti in a baking dish with a piece missing and a spoon in it
    Print Recipe Save RecipeSaved!
    5 from 11 votes

    Homemade Manicotti [with Gluten-Free Option]

    This homemade manicotti is a cheesy, hearty and deliciously satisfying meatless Italian meal the whole family will love. Making the manicotti shells (crepes or crespelle) from scratch is easier than you think and totally worth it! And it's easy to make them gluten-free too.
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Italian
    Keyword crepes, crespelle, gluten free, italian food, manicotti, meatless, ricotta cheese filling, vegetarian
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 55 minutes
    Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
    Servings 12 -15
    Author Sherri Hall

    Ingredients

    FOR THE FILLING

    • Ricotta Cheese Mixture (click for the recipe)

    FOR THE MANICOTTI SHELLS (CREPES/CRESPELLE)

    • 6 large eggs
    • 1 cup milk, whole or 2%
    • 1 cup all purpose flour (use 1 ¼ cups chickpea flour for the gluten-free option)
    • olive oil spray for greasing

    ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS

    • 56 oz. tomato or marinara sauce
    • 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese, whole milk or part skim

    Instructions

    • Prepare ricotta cheese mixture according to recipe and refrigerate until ready to use.
    • Preheat oven to 350°F.
    • Lay out two sheets of parchment or wax paper on the counter.
    • In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and milk together with an electric hand mixer.
    • Add flour and beat with an electric hand mixer until there are no lumps.
    • Lightly grease an 8-inch nonstick pan by spraying some oil on a paper towel and wiping your pan with it.
    • Heat pan over medium heat.
    • When pan is hot, add approximately ¼ cup batter (about ¾ of a ladleful) to the center of the pan and swirl to cover bottom of pan.
    • Cook until edges are set and start to separate from pan, middle should be almost set but not quite (approximately 15-20 seconds).
    • Carefully lift edge with a spatula and quickly flip crepe over.
    • Cook for 15-20 seconds more (crepe should be a light golden brown).
    • Use the spatula to remove crepe from skillet and place onto parchment or wax paper.
    • Repeat with remaining batter, continuing to grease pan as needed until you’ve used up your batter.
    • Once all the crepes are done, lightly line the bottoms of two 13” x 9” baking dishes with tomato sauce and set aside.
    • Add approximately ⅓ cup ricotta cheese mixture toward the bottom of one of the crepe shells. Press down slightly but don’t let cheese go past the edges.
    • Roll up tightly and place seam side down into baking dish.
    • Once all the manicotti are in the baking dishes, top with remaining sauce and mozzarella cheese.
    • Cover and cook for 30 minutes.
    • Uncover and cook for 15-20 more minutes.

    (Please refer to the post above for instructional photographs and other helpful information for this recipe)

    Suggested Equipment/Tools

    Electric Hand Mixer

    Notes

    For step by step photographs for making the crepes, please refer to the blog post above the recipe card.
    Store leftover baked manicotti in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Reheat covered in a 350° F oven or in the microwave until warmed throughout. You can also freeze the manicotti either before baking or after. Freeze in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
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    ©Watch Learn Eat. All content and images are copyright protected. Recipes and images are not to be used or republished without prior permission. If you adapt this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, and link back to this post for the original recipe.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Ellen

      November 25, 2018 at 9:29 pm

      Pure comfort food! Perfect for pasta night.

      Reply
      • Sherri Hall

        November 26, 2018 at 12:03 pm

        Thank you Ellen! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Caroline

      November 25, 2018 at 9:27 pm

      5 stars
      These look great, so incredibly comforting. I agree chickpea flour is great for so many things.

      Reply
      • Sherri Hall

        November 26, 2018 at 12:03 pm

        Thank you Caroline! Yay for chickpea flour! 🙂

        Reply
    3. Ginny

      November 25, 2018 at 8:16 pm

      5 stars
      So very cool that you made homemade manicotti. I bet that recipe tastes fantastic too. Much better than you can buy. Thanks for the recipe.

      Reply
      • Sherri Hall

        November 26, 2018 at 12:02 pm

        Thank you Ginny! I think it's better than store-bought shells, but of course, I'm partial to it being a family recipe. 🙂

        Reply
    4. Katie Crenshaw | A Fork's Tale

      November 25, 2018 at 5:02 pm

      5 stars
      Wow! These look great. You gave perfect step-by-step instructions. I won't have any problem making these. Thanks for the lovely recipe!

      Reply
      • Sherri Hall

        November 25, 2018 at 5:26 pm

        Thank you Katie! I hope you will give them a try! 🙂

        Reply
    5. Marisa

      November 25, 2018 at 4:16 pm

      5 stars
      I'm so impressed! Never even thought to make my own chickpea pasta. Looks so tasty!

      Reply
      • Sherri Hall

        November 25, 2018 at 4:33 pm

        Thank you so much, Marisa!

        Reply
    6. Stacy Estelle

      November 13, 2018 at 2:14 pm

      Comfort food at it's best!

      Reply
      • Sherri Hall

        November 13, 2018 at 2:22 pm

        Thank you Stacy! It definitely is! 🙂

        Reply
    7. David @ Spiced

      November 09, 2018 at 9:21 am

      Your story of Big Grandma reminds me of when I met Laura. We personally grew up eating a traditional Thanksgiving meal, but Laura's family always goes with the Italian flare. Truthfully, I've started going to the ravioli over the turkey whenever we visit her place for Thanksgiving. Crazy! I'm super intrigued by the chickpea flour here. It looks like you found a pretty solid way to go gluten free with this family favorite. I love manicotti, and this one needs to be on my short list of recipes to make! 🙂

      Reply
      • Sherri Hall

        November 13, 2018 at 1:56 pm

        Thanks David! I am totally digging chickpea flour! I hope you enjoy this recipe! 🙂

        Reply
    8. Brian Jones

      November 08, 2018 at 3:12 am

      5 stars
      That sounds delicious, so hearty and comforting, definitely my kinda food.

      Reply
      • Sherri Hall

        November 08, 2018 at 7:55 am

        Thanks Brian! 🙂

        Reply
    9. Adrianne

      November 08, 2018 at 2:02 am

      5 stars
      It is so nice that you got to do some cooking with your father! The process shots are great. It sets me up well to be able to cook them step by step. Looking forward to trying. Cheers!

      Reply
      • Sherri Hall

        November 08, 2018 at 7:55 am

        Thanks Adrianne! We had fun revamping the recipe together! I hope you enjoy them! Cheers to you too! 🙂

        Reply
    10. TIsha

      November 08, 2018 at 12:57 am

      5 stars
      Oh my!! These look fantastic!!!

      Reply
      • Sherri Hall

        November 08, 2018 at 7:54 am

        Thank you Tisha!

        Reply
    11. Natalie

      November 08, 2018 at 12:48 am

      5 stars
      I never had manicotti before! Looks so delicious and perfect for a comforting dinner!

      Reply
      • Sherri Hall

        November 13, 2018 at 2:21 pm

        Thank you so much, Natalie! It is definitely a comfort meal for sure. 🙂

        Reply
    12. Jori

      November 07, 2018 at 11:05 pm

      My daughter loves manicotti and loves making pasta. She'll love trying to make this version.

      Reply
      • Sherri Hall

        November 07, 2018 at 11:44 pm

        Thank you so much, Jori! I hope she enjoys it! 🙂

        Reply

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    About Sherri

    Founder, Author, Recipe Developer, & Photographer

    With a lifelong passion for cooking, I specialize in creating easy meatless meals that are omnivore-approved!

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