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Test Kitchen Approved

Christmas Night Manicotti

Time: 3 hours

Yield: 8 servings

About

Psst. Hey. Here's the secret behind Christmas Night Manicotti... it's not actually made with manicotti. We know! Shocker! Instead, Christmas Night Manicotti serves up extra-tender, golden crêpes. We all love pasta, of course, but doesn't that just sound even better than pasta? Of course, it's not the non-pasta alone that makes Christmas Night Manicotti special. It stuffs itself full of tangy, cheesy, refreshing goodness! Slathered with rich tomato sauce and even more melty cheese, this dish really does pass out the festive fun!

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Ingredients

  • 6 eggs, divided
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/4 cups milk
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • vegetable oil, to taste
  • 1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
  • 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
  • 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped, plus more, to taste, for garnish
  • 3 tablespoons green onions, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 cups marinara sauce, divided
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions

Step 1 -In a bowl, add 4 of the eggs and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and whisk to combine.

Step 2 -Gradually add the flour and the milk to the egg mixture, while whisking and alternating additions between the two, until smooth.

Step 3 -Add the melted butter to the egg mixture and whisk to combine into a batter.

Step 4 -Refrigerate the batter for at least 1 hour.

Step 5 -Heat a small skillet over medium heat.

Step 6 -Brush a thin layer of the extra vegetable oil on the hot skillet and allow it to heat.

Step 7 -Ladle about 1/4 cup of the batter into the hot oil and immediately swirl the skillet to spread the batter out thinly and to completely cover the bottom.

Step 8 -Cook until the crêpe turns lightly golden-brown on the bottom, about 1-2 minutes.

Step 9 -Flip and cook until the bottom has small brown spots, about 30 seconds-1 minute.

Step 10 -Transfer the crêpe to a plate, making sure to layer the crêpe between pieces of wax paper to prevent it from sticking to the plate or to the other crêpes.

Step 11 -Repeat the cooking process with the remaining batter and more of the vegetable oil.

Step 12 -Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Step 13 -In a bowl, add the ricotta, the spinach, the parmesan cheese, the cream cheese, 1/4 cup of the parsley, the green onions, the remaining eggs, the onion powder, the oregano, and the remaining salt and stir to combine.

Step 14 -In the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish, spread 1 cup of the marinara sauce.

Step 15 -On a work surface, place 1 of the crêpes.

Step 16 -Spoon 3 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture down the center of the crêpe and roll it up over the filling.

Step 17 -Place the rolled-up crêpe in the baking dish on top of the marinara layer.

Step 18 -Repeat with the remaining crêpes and the remaining ricotta mixture.

Step 19 -Spread the remaining marinara sauce over the filled crêpes.

Step 20 -Sprinkle the sauce layer evenly with the mozzarella cheese.

Step 21 -Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the mozzarella cheese is melted and slightly browned, about 20-30 minutes.

Step 22 -Serve garnished with the extra parsley.

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