These spinach and cheese manicotti are filled with three cheeses – ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan, then topped with homemade sauce. So damn delicious!
Homemade Spinach Manicotti
Homemade Spinach ManicottiThe secret to the best, irresistible manicotti is to make them from scratch with my easy homemade crespelles, which are basically Italian crepes. It takes a little more time but it’s worth it! If you prefer using manicotti pasta, you can see my Baked Beef and Cheese Manicotti Recipe here.
Manicotti is a great dish for Christmas or Christmas Eve. If you’re planning a dinner party, you can double the recipe and make two trays. Serve it with a crisp salad and some bread on the side if you wish.
We had this for dinner last night and Tommy who’s pretty critical and picky, gave me the biggest compliment, he said it tastes like Pastosa Ravioli. If you live in New York and have tried Pastosa’s, you’ll know why that’s a compliment! I usually make my own homemade sauce, but last night I cheated and used Delallo’s Pomodoro Fresco because I’m obsessed (not a sponsored post, it’s just the best jarred sauce ever)! Like Pastosa, I only use Polly-O ricotta for the filling (yes, it makes a difference) as well as their mozzarella, which I prefer to grate myself by hand.
How To Make Manicotti
What’s the difference between manicotti and cannelloni ?
They are both very similar, the only difference is manicotti, is a filled crepe or “crespelle” rather than pasta. Cannelloni, can be stuffed with the same filling, but uses pasta instead. The confusion is the pasta you purchase in the store to make cannelloni, is called manicotti.
Although they are both delicious, this recipe is made with the crespelles which I personally love. The delicate crepes give the manicotti a lightness you just don’t get with pasta. It does take a little extra time, so I save this dish for special occasions and holidays. You can double the recipe and freeze one of the trays.
How do you make manicotti shells (crespelles)?
You start by making super thin crepes in a skillet. Don’t worry, they are much easier to make than they sound. My homemade crespelle recipe uses white whole wheat flour (all purpose gluten-free flour such as Bob’s Red Mill works too), eggs, milk and salt which are mixed in the blender. A crepe pan can be used, but it’s not necessary, I use a 8-inch non-stick skillet with a 6-inch surface and which works out perfect. I start by spraying the pan lightly with olive oil spray, then add two tablespoons of batter for each, swirl it around and once it sets, gently flip. Stack them on a plate, and once the crespelles are all made, lay them out on a work surface, fill and roll. After you make a few, you’ll be a pro!
How To Make Manicotti Ahead:
- This is a great dish to make for the holidays or special occasions because you can prep everything ahead. Make the homemade crespelles one day ahead and stack them on a plate. Cover them tight with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to fill.
- You can also make the spinach-ricotta filling one day ahead. The morning of, stuff the crespelles, roll them and refrigerate. Once you are ready to bake, pour the sauce in the baking dish, top with the manicotti, top with more sauce and cheese and bake until hot.
- Leftovers can be frozen. To freeze cooked, bake them in the oven then freeze. To reheat, transfer them from the freezer directly into the oven, cover and bake 350F until heated through, about 30 minutes.
- If you want to freeze them before cooking, you assemble them in aluminum tins, wrap with foil and freeze. Bake frozen and covered 350F about 40 to 45 minutes, or until hot and bubbling.
Homemade Spinach Manicotti
Ingredients
- 16 homemade crespelles
- 15 oz part skim ricotta cheese, I use Polly-O
- 2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, reserve 1/2 cup Polly-O
- 1 large egg
- 10 oz package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed really well
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan Regianno*
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- black pepper, to taste
- 2 1/2 cups jarred marinara or homemade marinara sauce
Instructions
- Start by making the crespelles (see recipe link above)
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- In a large bowl, combine ricotta, 1-1/2 cups of the mozzarella, egg, spinach, parmesan cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper.
- Fill each crespelle with 1/4 cup spinach filling and roll.
- In a large baking dish, (or two smaller dishes) pour 1 cup of sauce on the bottom of the dish. Place rolled manicotti seem side down onto baking dish. Top with 1 1/2 cups more sauce and remaining mozzarella cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake about about 25 minutes, until hot and bubbling, and the cheese is melted.
- *Use substitute for vegetarian parmesan.
Last Step:
Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.Video
Notes
Nutrition
Categories:
I have made this every holiday season since the recipe was published, and it is always amazing. I often use gluten free flour because so many of my friends are GF and it is just as good as with the whole wheat flour. It keeps well if made in advance to eat ourselves or give to friends.
Just made this tonight using the crespelle recipe and the marinara recipe. It was so good! I am definitely going to keep the marinara recipe and make it instead of using jarred pasta sauce for other recipes and as our pasta sauce. So glad to see I can make the crespelle ahead of time too!
Fantastic! I used Gina’s homemade Crespelle recipe for this and it was so good. I can’t imagine making it any other way. Excited to see how it cooks from frozen next time as I want to make two in one night.
A favorite recipe. I use cottage cheese instead of Ricotta, and cut back on other cheeses a bit. Wonderful this Christmas. Great vegetarian option to have anytime.
I have made these before and they are delicious. The only thing is the point value is off for WW. They actually come out to 6 Points EACH on the Blue plan. I just did the calculations on WW. However, I was able to find a Fat Free ricotta cheese and the whole foods 365 Mozz cheese is lower, so I made them 3 points each
Can this be frozen?
This is one of our favorite recipes!!!!
I made these tonight and they are to die for!
Very delicious and was easy.
Thank you for this awesome recipe.
I made this recipe for my lunch this week and it’s awesome! I actually split it into two 8×8 pans – one to cook now, the other is frozen for another meal. When I tell you it’s delicious? It was amazing! I did add some fresh basil to the crespelles to add a bit more flavor – turned out great! I have a ton of crespelles leftover that I’ll use for another dish.
Can you make this with fresh spinach and if so, How much do I use? Does it change the taste/texture?
Yes, you should be able too. I suggest sautéing it first – about 1 lb of spinach will get you the 10 oz for this recipe.
This was delicious. The crepes scared me, but they were so easy. Will definitely make again. I used fresh spinach because I donot like the tuff stems in frozen.
This was delicious! I am not crazy about ricotta so I whipped up cottage in my food processor and added minced garlic to the filling only because I just have to have garlic in my Italian dishes. Plan on making another batch of the crespelles today for the freezer to have this for dinner in no time. I will never go back to store bought manicotti!
I made these for Christmas dinner and was amazed at how beautiful and delicious they were. The crepe held up so well. Even the leftovers were still amazing. Thanks!
Wow, dinner tonight was incredible! My husband was impressed from start to finish. I made your delicious Manicotti, with both of the recommended extra steps of making the Crespelles and the marinara. Both are 100% worth the extra effort. I served it with the Italian Caprese Salad and the Quick Mussels Fra Diavolo. My husband said that he felt we were back in a fancy Italian restaurant on the Amalfi Coast (a special place in our hearts, as this is where we honeymooned). This one will definitely make the “greatest hits” list of Skinnytaste meals that we have experienced on your meal plan.
*Note* I made everything exactly as written in instructions as I have come to trust them completely
Aww, thank you Katrena! I am so glad you both enjoyed this!
Can you make this
Dish using fresh spinach instead of frozen? How much fresh? Does it change the result?
This was absolutely delicious. Some might look upon making the crispelles as slightly fussy, but I would much rather do that than boil manicotti, drain, and burn my fingers trying to stuff without splitting. Wonderful sauce, great blend of flavors, and even though I made this shortly after it was published, I still think of it.
This was incredible. We spent allll day on this including making our own ricotta from scratch, the crespelles from scratch, shredded the block of cheese, no bagged stuff, and it was perrrrfect!! So delish. Definitely better than buying manicotti tubes in a box. We did need a lot more sauce than suggested tho.
Made these last night and they were DELICIOUS. It felt like such a treat but also very light, the overfull feeling that usually comes with pasta wasn’t there.
This was so good!
The crepes took a little time but were easy and could easily be prepared ahead of time.
There aren’t enough good things to say about this recipe! I discovered it 7-8 years ago when I was googling/looking for WW recipes and found your website. Made it the first time, and all I could think was, “Damn! This is skinny food?!”
Your site has been my go-to for years!.The Meater Man, gives me a happy dance every time I tell him I’m making this for dinner! Thank you, Gina!
Lol, glad you both enjoy it!
Made this dish for dinner last night and it was amazing! I swapped the beef for turkey and chopped up some spinach to add to the mixture. It was delicious. Hubby said it’s been my best pasta dish so far! Thanks skinnytaste!
Would there be a way to make them mini/bite sized? These could be perfect for a holiday party!
Oh my gosh, this is delicious! Between the sauce and the crespilles, just so, so tasty. Totally worth the time, even on a random Tuesday night, like tonight. Thanks!
Aren’t they!!!!
Gina-Is there a substitute for ricotta in recipes? I’ve got a picky eater that doesn’t like ricotta.
This came out absolutely fantastic. You couldn’t really tell that you weren’t eating pasta! One of my husband and I new favorites. I love Skinnytaste recipes!
It was good! First time making the crepes. Messed up on the first two but then the rest I did a good job. I used 2-1/2 tablespoons to make the crepes. Worked better for me than 2 tablespoons. Very filling! Froze the rest of them.
Can regular AP Flour work ok? I know it’s not the healthier choice, but it’s what I have on hand right now!! Thank you! We use many of your recipes and always love them!
I made this today but was only able to make 4 crespelles, it just would not flip, the rest I made with manicotti shells and the crespelles were so much better. I will probably buy a crepe pan, any tips on how to flip them? This was a wonderful dish!
Hey just a heads up that Parmesan Regianno isn’t vegetarian as it uses animal rennet so you might want to mention that you need to use a substitute to make this veggie or remove the vegetarian tag. Cheers.
Thanks, will do.
Great recipe. I made my own fresh ricotta with 2% milk. Next time I’ll try 1%. It would be great to post a recipe for it. So much better than commercial stuff.
Pingback: Skinnytaste Meal Plan (March 26-April 1) - Florida News
This was so good! I did use a lasagna meat sauce(I used Jenny O turkey sausage and 90% lean ground beef) that I’m in love with so that definitely added some calories! I imported that recipe into a nutritional calculator and it said that it was about 148 calories so if you take out the marinara and add that in, it’s still probably around 400 calories per serving. Which I think is definitely acceptable for how filling and amazing this is! I will definitely make this again!!
A lot of work & it wasn’t good. The homemade dough was good but the filing was not.
Pingback: Homemade Spinach Manicotti | Jerry
I had a bit of difficulty with the crespelles, but was able to get my own technique down for the last half. Was a relatively easy meal to put together, very delicious, and everyone in the family loved it. Husband has asked for it to go in the rotation, and he is usually not a fan of the meatless meals. Thanks for another great recipie, Gina!
You’re welcome Maggie!
I made this tonight absolutely LOVED it!! Thanks so much, Gina! I was daunted at first by the crispelles. But they turned out great!
Why does the wraps look a little uncooked at the edges? Otherwise these are great, much lighter than traditional manicotti,I think they taste much better too, because you make em yourself. You get such a good feeling when you cook food from scratch. I’m gonna try these with a whole grain flour, Thank You!
Not under-cooked, just not completely submerged in sauce. They were cooked in the skillet.
I love this recipe and have made many variations of it, Being that my husband is Italian I always add a clove of garlic and a tsp of Italian seasoning to the filling for a little extra flavor.
Pingback: Spinach and Cheese Manicotti – Substitute Take-Out
Made this recipe last night – it was so delicious and British husband not big on Italian food requested I make it again!
Hi Gina. What size baking dish did you use for making 16?
the largest, 9 x 13 I think. Or use two
Before you roll the manicotti do you spread the filling over the whole crepe or just half? Thanks!
in the center
Pingback: Friday Favorites | A Tasty Life
I made this last night, and it was amazing! My whole family enjoyed the unique texture of the crespelles (light and fluffy) and the spinach filling — the dish tasted completely decadent. To be honest, I nearly gave up about 1/3 of the way through making the crespelles . . . I started rooting around in my pantry for some pasta shells 🙂 I kept trying, though, and got the hang of it. A few tips for first-timers:
–Spray the pan in between each crespelle, or they will stick
–Keep swirling the batter until it stops moving in the skillet, then set it back down on the burner. That created the most even crepe, without ‘crispy’ edges. Mine worked best once the skillet was good and hot.
–Be prepared to toss out a few before you get the hang of it. It wasn’t a problem for me, as I only had enough filling to fill 12 crespelles, even with a 1/4 measure. Not sure why.
Thanks for another awesome recipe!
I made this last weekend for my “Sunday” dinner. Even though I’m single I still try to have something special for dinner on Sundays just like my Mom had when I was growing up. Anyway, making the crespelles was very easy and not too time consuming after the first 3 test ones I did. I reduced the amount of filling for each since I would have run out of it if I used a 1/4 cup for each one. The resulting dish was fantastic! Since pasta usually gets a bit mushy in this dish, I couldn’t even tell that I didn’t use pasta. I’m so impressed with this that I’m going to offer to make it as a side dish for Christmas dinner at a friends house. Everyone will love it.
Great!
This was amazing!!! My picky eaters loved it.
Do you have a tip for how to gently flip the crepes? Do you use a spatula?
yes, I use a spatula
I recommend using a silicone spatula. I find the the flexibility of it helps me get underneath the crepe and flip it more gently. It’s so much less likely to tear
Thanks, Gina! This turned out great. I love making homemade marinara sauce you posted, and it turned out fantastic. Added a nice side salad with basalmic and tomato to keep it low in points. One of my favorites yet!
Amazing recipe, and so much easier than I thought it would be to make the crespelles! My husband and -year-old devoured it. Thank you!
You may have just saved my Christmas Eve dilemma ! Always cooking for regular eaters and gluten free at the same time – this looks amazing!
great!
Thank you for sharing, will definitely try this one! x
I have this ready for dinner tonight! So excited to try it. Can you source the baking dish you used?
Hi Gina, this recipe sounds great and I have a couple of questions. Have you figured the points for the filling separate from the points for the crepe by any chance? Secondly I’m an old-school Weight Watcher and weigh everything so do you have the ounces for any of the Cheeses? Of course if you don’t I will figure it out. One of your followers asked about sausage. It’s pretty easy to find chicken sausage at four SP each.
Simple to figure out crepes so. The individual ingredients came to 25 sp total.
If you look at the linked recipe for the crespelles, you’ll see they are 1 SP each.
We had this tonight for dinner–it was wonderful!! The crespelles were quick and easy to make. The filling is amazing!! Although I have my own homemade marinara sauce, I was interested in trying the highly rate Delallo’s sauce, and it did not disappoint! I’ll definitely be making this again!! Thanks for another super recipe!
Hi Gina! My fiance is a picky eater and doesn’t like warm, leafy, greens. (So, cold, leafy and green – raw spinach- is fine. Warm, non-leafy, and green – broccoli – is fine. And, warm, leafy, but not green – cabbage, don’t ask me why this makes sense 🙂 – is also fine.).
I’m trying to think of a good way to replace the spinach with veggies. I’m thinking about adding mashed cauliflower to the cheese mixture and making an all-white filling. Do you have any other ideas? Thank you!
what about grated zucchini
Try mixing cheese/spinach mixture in a food processor or blender. Cuts spinach finely. A texture my children prefer.
Oh no! Gina said damn! Considering the fact she is an adult, writing for adults I think we can give her a pass…
If I added sweet Italian sausage to your recipe how many points would you calculate 2 rolls to be?
Sorry, I don’t have that info handy.
It depends of course on how much sausage you add to the recipe. My Fitness Pal has a tool for importing recipes like this and you can add any ingredient you like and it will spit out nutrition info which you could then convert to points.
Hi Gina! Is it possible to assemble the trays and freeze several weeks ahead of time? Trying to minimize the amount of prep work on or around Christmas Eve. Thanks 🙂
Yes it would be great!
I hate to ask this, but can you buy the crespelles at the store? I don’t have much time to make them, but the recipe sounds wonderful!
No but you can make them ahead
Costco
What section can I find them at Costco?
Recipe looks great! Must you start using curse words in your comments?????
Oh no! Gina said damn! Considering the fact she is an adult, writing for adults I think we can give her a pass…
Oooh, cover your eyes!!! I hope you were trying to be funny, otherwise maybe get a life???
Wow delish l can’t wait to try it looks yum yum
I grew up eating manicotti made this way (minus the spinach). When I went to college, I found an RA with a kitchen, and made it for all my friends. But of course, it included homemade sauce, and homemade ricotta. Needless to say, I gained a friend or two, LOL! I never thought about it being acceptable for WW … but my daughter doesn’t like red sauce, so I never get to have my old Italian favorites any more. 🙁
Fill it with veggies and it’s def WW friendly
This looks wonderful! Have you (or any readers) tried making the crespelles with gluten free flour?
Yes, I tested today! It works
Pingback: Homemade Spinach Manicotti | Womenssheath.com
Is it poss to make the crispelles gluten free?
Yes! I tested them today with Bobs Red Mill All Purpose Flour
Funny, i’ve always known them as cannelloni, in Argentina they are very popular for special occasions. They are one of my fave dishes that my mom made when she didn’t make fresh pasta. I agree about Pastosa! They are the best raviolo EVERRRRR! & I also grate the pollyo mozzarella myself, the pre shredded stuff has a diff consistency. Love your recipws! These look divine, maybe i’ll make this wknd!
Great!! I hope you do!!
Pingback: Homemade Spinach Manicotti – Lauren Scott – Blog
Pingback: Homemade Spinach Manicotti | get in the best possible shape
Wow, eyes opened! I must try this recipe now.
I always assumed that manicotti is made with pasta shells. My Italian husband’s family make “Skipelles” (I assume it is the same as crespelles, and just down to how they pronounce it). They sprinkle Locatelli cheese inside, roll them up, and serve with a delicious chicken soup poured over top of them. Now try that. It’s the best thing ever!
Yum! I am all over this!!
Gina, it’s SOOO good!!! Chicken soup should have all the normal stuff with lots of chicken meat, plus some chopped tomato. Then don’t forget another sprinkle of the locatelli over your soup before eating.
They would make hundreds of skipelles (crispelles) at a time- and have two special crepe makers- basically a slightly convex, round electric skillet that they dip in the batter, cook, repeat. It’s a production that was usually reserved for Easter.
Pingback: Homemade Spinach Manicotti | Good Kitchen Blog
It’s nice to see this done the real way. I like the idea of adding spinach. My mother-in-law makes this and it takes her 2-3 days, so she only makes it at Christmas. Jarred sauce is a big no no in my mother-in-laws house, and in mine as well. My husband was horrified when he found jarred sauce in my cabinet when we first started dating. I’d make my own meat sauce. Also it’s super easy to make your own ricotta. I never buy it any more. Homemade is so much better. I am lucky enough to have a Pastosa that opened up near me last year in NJ. I’m not all that impressed with their manicotti. Their ravioli is awesome though.
We never tried their manicotti either, he said it tasted like their ravioli. Agree about jarred sauce, I am a sauce snob and never bought it or liked it and neither did my husband. Let me tell you, Delallo will change your mind, email me your address I will send you a jar just to make you a believer!
I married into an Italian family and this is by far my FAVORITE dish to eat! I’ve made it once with my husband’s family, and they layered their crepes with a piece of wax paper between each one. They froze them for a few weeks until they stuffed them. Could you do that with this recipe?
Yes.
Would this be good frozen (the whole meal) ahead of time and cook later?
Yes!
These are fantastic…the crespelles really give it a completely different texture than a traditional manicotti pasta. The filling is wonderful. HOWEVER…word to the wise: the crespellese are tricky! I’m a pretty good cook, and I had a really hard time flipping them. I ruined a few before I figured out. I finally used a bit more batter and two spatulas, and that made it easier. Next time, I think I would slide on a plate, and then invert over the pan to cook the other side. I ended up not having enough batter to make 16, so the ones I made were nicely filled because they took up the excess! I am hoping they freeze well.
We made these last night for dinner. They were amazing. We will definitely make them again!
The are great! We’ve made them several times! A keeper!!!
great!!
Not sure you will see this….but do you know the Smart Points value? Thank you and Happy New Year!
I will look into it and let you know!
The link for crespelles doesn't work anymore? Can it be fixed?
It's fixed!
Just finished making this with the homemade sauce. Every one loved it and my 11, 9 and 7 year olds went back for seconds and thrids. This is definitely a keeper. Hoping to make a double batch the next time and freeze half.
I made these with part whole wheat flour and they came out great!!!
Is there any way I get a printable version of these recipes? I love the photos, but they take up so much space and use so much ink when printing. I would love to be able to print out a version of the recipe on one page that would fit on one page, with maybe one photo at the top to identify the dish.
oh silly me! I just noticed the print friendly button…. 🙂
Must try this recipe with my friends.How can I alter the recipe to add a whole pound of sausage?
I made these tonight and my husband and I loved them! I used skim ricotta and fresh spinach (by mistake :)). I also substituted egg beaters for the egg in the spinach mix because I ran out of eggs. By making those small changes I was able to cut 100 calories and 10 grams of fat per serving (2 manicotti)! We will definitely make these again! Thank you! I love love love your site!
I made these last night and they were another hit. I called my mom laughing saying I got my picky 2 y/o to eat spinach! Whoo-hoo! I keep forgetting to take pictures when they actually come out looking good, maybe next time!
I have made many of your recipes and this is by far one of the best. The crepes came out great considering it was my first time, and the taste was fabulous. Even my husband loved it. I make homemade "gravy" so I didn't use the pomodoro sauce, otherwise, stuck exactly to the recipe. It was not wet or soupy but I did cook uncovered for about 10 minutes. Delicious!!
I also had to cook this recipe uncovered for an additional 30 minutes than suggested in the recipe. When I did their temp and time, it was wet, soupy and the insides were barely warmed up.
Made these, and the crespelles, and the homemade Pomodoro sauce.
The ingrediants were expensive.
The outcome: the spinach ricotta tasted bland. The sauce was bland. Everything was BLAND.
If I'm going to intake this many calories with all the cheese, I'm going to go for the real stuff.
My suggestion: buy the bottled pomodoro sauce. The recipe was too soupy and BLAND. I had to reduce the liquid by 1/3 and would have to throw in a cup of salt and a cup of black pepper to get any taste.
Loved the crespelles/crepes. Easy, and I will make them again for a desert.
I am making these now! First time making crepes and it was very easy to do! Looks like a winner to me! 😉 Thanks Gina!
I have always LOVED manicotti. But dealing with manicotti noodles is a PIA, so I would usually do stuffed shells instead. I absolutely loved the idea of using crepes in place of the pasta. I made this last night for a dinner party of 8, and it came out soooo good! The crespelles are so light and fluffy, and the manicotti was a huge hit. I made the crepes and mixed the filling the night before and stored them in separate containers in the refrigerator until I was ready to assemble. I used jarred tomato/basil marinara sauce in order to save some time in the kitchen. I served these with asparagus bundles wrapped in prosciutto, rosemary garlic parmesan biscuits, and served tomato mozarella & arugula towers as an appetizer…all from Skinnytaste! 🙂
Looks delicious…will be trying out tomorrow.
Hi,
I was wondering if there was a way to do this with ground pork as my husband to be hates cheese?
I made these last week and they were great! I did use 10 oz of fresh spinach (measured in a measuring cup) and just chopped it up finely. I would recommend this over using the frozen – and there wasn't extra liquid which is sometimes the issue with frozen spinach even if you drain it. It took making a few crespelles before I got the hang of it, but once I did they turned out great and were a good addition to the filling. I would suggest spending the time to do this over buying pre-made manicotti, especially since you will save yourself calories/fat 🙂 Thanks for the great recipe – we will definitely be making this one again!
Hi Gina. I LOVE this recipe. I'm making it again but I'd rather used fresh spinach instead of frozen. What amount of fresh would equal the 10oz of frozen called for in this recipe?
thanks, I'm not sure off hand, it shrinks but I'm not sure if it weighs less when cooked.
Yes, What do I need to make the crespelles?
I have the link to the crespelles above.
how do you make crespelles i would like to make soom .
I've made about 20 of your recipes so far and am in heaven. This one by far is the best. My whole family gobbled it up and I have a few picky eaters!! I made double mix of crespelles and the kids snacked on them while waiting and I made some in the morning with yogurt and fruit! Thank you Soooo much for your site.
Lindsey
Yum, yum, yum! Made these over the weekend and they were a hit. The crepes are really amazing – they give full flavor without all the heaviness of pasta. I had made the sauce the weekend before so I ws able to skip that step of the preperation process so it wasn't too bad. I ended up with only 14 manicotti – I think because I had a little less cheese than the recipe calls for. Kraft cheats customers out of a 1/4 cup when you buy the 2% cheese. I was surprised at how filling these were – at first I thought – only 2? that will never fill me up. But they do!
Very excited about this recipe… I'm taking a trip to visit a friend this weekend and we're planning to make these. She doesn't have a blender for the crespelles… do you think a food processor will do the trick or do I need to carry my blender across state lines?
Made these tonight and they were AWESOME. I think the key is definitly making the crepes, the filling was good but the crepes were what made it. I was afraid of what my husband would think, he's not really a 'light dish' kind of guy, but after dinner he said "That was really good hunny." Definitly a keeper!
Wow! My mom used to make her own manicotti like this, and it's been years since I've had it. I will definitely have to try these!! Thanks for posting…brings back memories. 🙂
My daughter and I tried this tonight – it was quicker and easier than either of us thought it would be. We used ready-made sauce and substituted fat-free cottage cheese for the ricotta. And it was still incredible! Next time we'll try our hand at making the sauce as well. So thankful for your site!
I don't think I've been as proud of any other food I've ever made as I am of this. Hit the spot and made me feel like I was cooking something fancy. Crepes, of all things! Thanks for the awesome recipe.
Made this tonight for the boyfriend and roommates they loved it!!!!
added ground turkey to this. YUM :0
I think they are pretty easy! Glad you enjoyed them!
This was so good! I was afraid I'd mess up the crepes but after trying out a couple they weren't hard at all.
I made these the other night with my vegetarian friend. Because we were limited on time, we used regular manicotti… it was still delicious.. and even better the next day as a left over. I bet it would be even more delicious as a crespelle!
I made this tonight for the first time. Super easy and DELICIOUS! My husband loved it, too! This one's a keeper!
I saw this recipe on your mosaic and didn't know it existed until then! I had the ingredients, so it was our dinner last night, and…wow. It was just fabulous. The crespelles were difficult, but I got the hang of it after a few. 1/4 cup filling was way too much for the size of my crespelles, so I halved the filling and adjusted the points accordingly. It gave us 3 for the same points as 2! Thank you – my husband absolutely loved it, and I have more filling, so we'll probably be eating it again soon!
Beth, I haven't seen them, you could use manicotti instead but you would have to adjust the points.
Gina — for those who aren't able to make the homemade crespelles can you buy them? Beth
Once again you do not disappoint… These were very good. I had some problems getting the crespelles round, but I figure once I actually own a 6 inch pan that won't be a problem… lol
Thanks again!
I am happy to hear that!!
Gina,
I just want to express my admiration for you and thank you for this wonderful blog. I am a college student and have recently acquired an interest in cooking, particularly cooking that doesn't undo my workouts. I love your recipes and the beautiful pictures that accompany them. Thank you again for such incredible ideas! 🙂
Thanks Elizabeth!
What I like to do is make the crepes ahead of time, then fill when I'm ready to bake. The crepes hold up fine, you can even freeze them.
I've reheated leftovers with no problem, after they were baked so I think they might hold up well assembled but I don't want to guess.
I was wondering if you could make this ahead of time or would the crepes get to soggy?
Also can you half the recipe and freeze it? Would it reheat well after being frozen or would the crepes again have a "soggy" problem?
Thanks again! I love your website and the recipes!!! I cook dinner every night and would be lost without your website. 🙂
You can start by trying half whole wheat, half white. Fresh spinach can always replace frozen, I don't think the points change but you should check recipe builder to be sure.
Hi Gina.
LOVE your site! This is on my menu for next week. I'm wondering, is it ok to use whole wheat flour instead of regular for the Crespelle and what about fresh spinach instead of frozen? Would either change the point value?
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
It's fantastic! HQ, Thanx!
Since this was a top 20 in 2010 recipe, can you please update with full nutritional info? I'd like to make this recipe this week if possible.
Thanks!
So happy you liked them!
Gina, you're amazing. You've got me excited about cooking again! After a few failed attempts at other recipes (not any of yours), I tried this last night and it was SOO easy. Awesome for busy moms to prepare earlier in the day and then just pop it in the oven right before dinner. I love that I made a healthy yet satisfying meal from scratch! Thank you!
Made this recipe last night. It was delicious. I had trouble getting my crepes "round", but they still wrapped well. It's definately a keeper.
Wonderful!
Once again, your recipe has been a huge hit in this home!!! I try very hard to make meals that my husband will enjoy….this one was one of them! He loved it! So did I!
SmartyPantsMama.com
Very good! My first time making a crespelles and they were the key to this dish. Thanks for the great recipes as always.
Looks wonderful! Have you converted this to the Points+ system yet?
This manicotti dish is my family favorite now, it is so good. I love this web-site it has great recipes. Thank you for all the great recipes and pictures!
Aww, my husband tells me he married me for my cooking!
This dish is amazing! I have made it twice now… once for my parents when I was visiting home (my dad said it was better than my moms manicotti but we won't tell her that) and once for my boyfriend. He said that after that meal he knew he was going to hands down marry me! haha. Thanks for all of your awesome recipes! I love them 🙂
I'm making it tonight but pureed cannaloni beans and mixed them in and only used half the ricotta cheese!
This dish was FANTASTIC!! I just got done eating it for dinner. My hubby, son and I both loved it and my 1 year old ate just as much as us!! Thanks sooo much!
I finally made these this past weekend. Although I made two batches of the crepes because I was not doing too great with them at first. I didn't want to run out!!! Anyway the manicotti was AMAZING. My husband LOVED it. I am eating leftovers now and I can't get enough.
I made banana/pb crepes for dessert for myself last night. Not sure on points but I'm pregnant so I'm not really counting now! THanks again for another fabulous recipe!
Oops! So you had mini manicotti! Cute!
i finally made this tonight…I was terribly intimidated but it turned out pretty easy. I did make the crespelles using only 1 Tablespoon of batter and didn't realize my mistake til later! They were still yummy!
That's great! The fritters are always a hit!! I bet he'll love the zucchini sticks! Thanks for sharing!
Hi again, Gina. I am the one with the husband who went nuts over the manicotti. He isn't formally on WW like me but he is eating pretty much was I am eating so I guess he kind of is! LOL. I made the califlower fritters last night and they were also a big hit. Thank you for the great website. I have passed it on to family and friends so they can cook your great recipes too! XO
Nutmeg works so well with spinach! Thanks for your comment!
I really liked this and would DEFINITELY make it again. Thank you. My only variation was to add a little grated nutmeg to the spinach filling.
Aww, you just made my day. Thanks for commenting and I'm glad I can help you stick to your diet. I hope you enjoy everything!
This is my first post
Gina I must say that I am thankful for you and this website. I am new to WW was very worried I would not be able to follow through for the long haul fear of having to eat the same thing over and over and/or tastless non filling things, but coming across your website has given me the belief that I will stick with it. I am very excited to start cooking your recipes. I don't know where to start! Thank you very much for your time and effort and encouragement.
Glad he liked it, is he on WW too?
Hi Gina!
I made the manicotti last night and it was delicious. My husband loved them too and was mad that a serving size was only 2. I had to hurry and put it away because he wanted to eat the entire pan!!! Thank you!! I will definitley make this again soon.
@shades of gray- the crepes are pretty simple to make as long as the heat isn't too high, you should have no problems!
@anonymous- this is such a family friendly dish. I'm happy your 6 year old agrees!
I made this last night and it was wonderful!! I actually split it into two and was going to freeze one for the next week or two but my 6 year old begged to have it again for diner tonight!
I just discovered your blog last week and it is a GOLDMINE! My husband is a vegetarian, and I am on WW and you have so many veg friendly meals on here. I am making this manicotti tonight for dinner! Can't wait to see how it turns out…although I'm a bit nervous about making the crepes! 🙂
@lisa- I'm surprised you had problems making the crepes, are you using a non-stick pan with a spatula?
@Anonymous- Glad you were able to please your Italian MIL!!
@Big t- I think you will be very happy here! 🙂
My wife and I just started WW and I do all the cooking, I had no idea where to start.
This was the first WW recipe that I made. She wonders if all the meals are going to be this good.
My Italian mother-in-law (who incidentially ALWAYS complains about my cooking) LOVED this dish! She even told me that I've out done myself! 😀
This was delicious! I really enjoyed that the crepes made the recipe not nearly as heavy as traditional pasta. I had one heck of a time making the crepes, though. Is there a trick to it? A lot of mine ripped when I tried to flip them. It tasted fabulous, though.
Glad they approved Michelle!!
We made this the other night, and it was INCREDIBLE. I can't wait to make it again!
MMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!! (From Dad)
Definitely a keeper! (from Mom)
Restaurant Quality!!! (from me, the cook)
You could make it again (from the hubs)
This looks great! I have never made crespelles before, but it makes this manicotti look so much better than the pasta versions!
I can't wait to try this recipe! Check out the award I just gave you on my blog. Just wanted to let you know, once again, how much I appreciate you sharing these delicious recipes.
Excellent! Let me know how they come out!
Yipee, I was thrilled to find I had everything this recipe calls for on hand. It is in the oven now and I am soooo looking forward to eating it. Thanks!
lol, love that Tammy!!
Gina, I love your recipes! Girl, you are an inspiration by providing the recipes – letting us know we can do it and eat good while doing it. Smacking the lips while losing some hips. Thanks so much!!! – TammyW
Oh, my goodness! I can't even tell you how delicious that looks! Yum. Thanks for another great recipe.
I love this!
Dinner is my favorite meal! I always have a light breakfast and lunch so I can enjoy a good dinner. Enjoy your yogurt!!
As I sit here at my desk eating my grapefruit and yogurt for breakfast…..I'm dreaming of Italian for dinner tonight! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
This looks AMAZING!!! YUM!!
Hi Gina,
This looks so good this looks like a keeper.
This looks absolutely delishious! Thank you so much for sharing! I will definately be giving it a try soon!
Blessings,
~Lynn
Wow!! Your manicotti look beautiful!! Goodness! Thanks for this lovely recipe.