Classic Manicotti

Name: Classic Manicotti
Cuisine: European, Italian, Mediterranean
Ingredients: 15 ml olive oil (1 tablespoon); 300 g zucchini (1 medium), roughly chopped; 100 g yellow onion (1 small), roughly chopped; 9 g garlic (3 cloves), smashed; 900 g fresh tomatoes, roughly chopped; kosher salt and black pepper, to taste; 20 g basil, plus more to garnish; 6 large eggs; 340 g “00” flour (2 ¼ cups); 5 g kosher salt (1 teaspoon); 65 g unsalted butter (4 tablespoons); 700 g low-fat cottage cheese (lactose-free; 3 cups); 140 g grated low-fat mozzarella (lactose-free; 1 ½ cups); 60 g grated parmesan (½ cup); 400 g frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (plus 200 g for assembly; about 14 oz total); 200 g lean ground turkey, cooked and drained; 2 large eggs; 1 lemon, zested and juiced; kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

5 steps

Updated at: Fri, 27 Mar 2026 09:28:11 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Good

Glycemic Index

Moderate

Glycemic Load

High

Nutrition per serving

Calories535.3 kcal (27%)

Total Fat22.4 g (32%)

Carbs45.1 g (17%)

Sugars7.6 g (8%)

Protein38.8 g (78%)

Sodium1125.6 mg (56%)

Fiber4.6 g (17%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Instructions

Step 1

Make the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high. Add the zucchini and onion and cook until lightly golden and soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more. Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper and let the mixture bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the tomatoes have begun to cook down and the sauce has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. Stir in the basil and season with salt and pepper. Cool slightly, then transfer to the bowl of a food processor and purée.

Step 2

Make the crepes. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with 375 ml cold water (1 ½ cups). Add the flour and salt, whisking until a smooth, pourable batter forms. If the batter is too thick whisk in 1 tablespoon of cold water at a time until the batter pours easily.

Step 3

Heat 5 g (1 teaspoon) of the butter in a 25 cm (10-inch) nonstick skillet over medium. Ladle about 80 ml (⅓ cup) batter into the skillet, tilting the skillet so the bottom is entirely coated. Cook until the bottom of the crepe is set and just golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Invert the crepe over a clean kitchen towel to cool. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding butter to the skillet as needed.

Step 4

Make the filling: In a large bowl, combine the cottage cheese, mozzarella, parmesan, spinach, cooked turkey, eggs, lemon juice and zest, salt, and pepper.

Step 5

Heat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Spread 250 ml (1 cup) of sauce in the bottom of a 23x33 cm (9-inch-by-13-inch) baking dish. Place one crepe, golden-side-up, on a clean work surface. Add a scant 100 g (½ cup) of the filling in a line across the bottom and delicately roll. Place the crepe, seam side down, in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining crepes until the baking dish is filled snugly. Spread 750 ml (3 cups) of sauce over the manicotti, then tightly cover with aluminum foil. Bake until the sauce is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Sprinkle with extra parmesan and garnish with more basil. Serve with any extra sauce on the side.