Christmas Eve Manicotti

4.7
(10)

My mother is full-blooded Sicilian and always makes Christmas Italian food. We celebrated the Vigil and had 7 fish dishes. Since my children were not fans of anything more than shrimp, I made Christmas Eve manicotti to add to the squid and octopus they didn't like. The crêpes and the fluffy cheese and spinach filling are sure to satisfy vegetarians as well.

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Prep Time:
1 hr
Cook Time:
1 hr
Additional Time:
1 hr
Total Time:
3 hrs
Servings:
8
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Ingredients

Original recipe (1X) yields 8 servings

Crêpes:

  • 4 eggs

  • ¼ teaspoon salt

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 2 ¼ cups milk

  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, or more as needed

Filling:

  • 1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese

  • 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry

  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

  • 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

  • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

  • 3 tablespoons chopped green onion

  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten

  • 1 tablespoon onion powder

  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • 2 cups prepared marinara sauce, or as needed

  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, or to taste

Directions

  1. Whisk 4 eggs and 1/4 teaspoon salt together in a bowl; gradually whisk in flour, alternating with milk, until smooth. Whisk in melted butter; refrigerate batter at least 1 hour.

  2. Heat a small skillet over medium heat; brush skillet with vegetable oil using a pastry brush. Ladle in about 1/4 cup batter (enough to lightly cover bottom of the skillet) and immediately swirl the skillet to spread batter out to cover bottom completely. Cook until crêpe turns lightly golden brown on the bottom; flip and cook until other side has small brown spots. Transfer crêpe to a plate; layered between waxed paper. Repeat with remaining batter, brushing the skillet with oil as needed to prevent crêpes from sticking.

  3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

  4. Lightly stir ricotta cheese, spinach, Parmesan cheese, cream cheese, parsley, green onion, 2 eggs, onion powder, oregano, and 1/2 teaspoon salt together in a bowl until filling is thoroughly combined.

  5. Spread 1 cup marinara sauce into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Place 1 crêpe onto a work surface; spoon about 3 tablespoons filling, or more as needed, down the center of crêpe. Roll crêpe over filling; place into baking dish. Repeat with remaining crêpes and filling. Spread remaining marinara sauce over filled crêpes; sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

  6. Bake in the preheated oven until bubbling and mozzarella cheese is melted and slightly browned, 20 to 30 minutes.

Tips

The first crêpe never comes out right! Don't despair and try again. You can also put mozzarella cheese in the filling, and make some with spinach and some without. Add-ins are endless.

29 home cooks made it!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

505 Calories
26g Fat
42g Carbs
25g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 8
Calories 505
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 26g 34%
Saturated Fat 14g 69%
Cholesterol 203mg 68%
Sodium 886mg 39%
Total Carbohydrate 42g 15%
Dietary Fiber 4g 13%
Total Sugars 10g
Protein 25g 50%
Vitamin C 7mg 7%
Calcium 496mg 38%
Iron 4mg 22%
Potassium 633mg 13%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.