I recently learned that the food I thought was manicotti (back in New York) was actually just cannelloni. The difference is subtle but cannelloni is cylinders of pasta stuffed with soft cheese and other things and manicotti is actually soft crepes stuffed with soft cheese and other things. I was a little intimidated to make crepes but actually the process is quite easy and while I haven’t mastered the single hand flip, it isn’t too bad. The crepes and filling can both be made a day ahead if you need to space out the work but this is a great weekend / special occasion dinner that can easily be made in bulk despite being quite complex and is a crowd pleaser.
Manicotti
Make crepe batter: Mix together the crepe ingredients into a bowl until a thin, smooth batter forms then let the batter sit for 20-30 minutes.
Make filling: In a skillet or pan cook down all the vegetables with a small amount of hot oil and seasoning until all the water is drawn out and the vegetables begin to crisp, about 10-12 minutes. Allow vegetables to cool completely and mix with the other filling ingredients.
Cook the crepes: Heat a small nonstick skillet over low-medium heat and spray with nonstick spray. Pour 2-3 tbps batter and swirl batter to the edges of the pan and allow to cook until set about 30-45 seconds into skillet and then flip and cook another 30-40 seconds until color starts to form. Tap out crepe onto a clean towel and repeat with remaining batter; if possible, do not to stack crepes or they will stick together.
Assembly: Preheat oven to 175°C. Spread about 1/3 of the sauce in a 13x9" baking pan. Working one at a time, spoon 2 heaping teaspoons of filling in center of crepe and spread to the ends then roll the crepe up and place seam side down into the baking dish. Fill the remaining crepes then top with the rest of the sauce and the cheese and cover with foil.
Bake manicotti until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling, about 35–45 minutes.