Homemade manicotti star of budget dinner for 4

Home cooks looking to stay on budget often opt for simple Italian dishes as a way to save a buck or two.

And more often than not, choosing an easy-to-make dish like spaghetti with marinara makes good, economical sense. Dried pasta is one of your more inexpensive pantry items, and so is the quick-cooking red sauce that accompanies it if you use canned tomatoes and everyday spices like salt, red pepper and garlic.

But fresh, homemade pasta dishes can be just as thrifty and pack even more flavor at dinnertime.

One tasty example is this budget meal featuring Italian crepes called crespelle stuffed with a creamy mix of three cheeses. Topped with a simple red sauce, it’s served with tender spring asparagus that’s been tossed in olive oil and roasted, and crispy, homemade garlic bread.

It also includes a simple, old-school dessert that ends dinner on a sweet and crunchy note: sugary crinkle cookies spiced with lemon zest and ginger.

Total cost for a family of four, with leftovers? A very affordable $21.03, or just a little more than $5 per serving for a nutritious, home-cooked meal.

How, you ask?

You have to do a little work, of course, both beforehand and also day-of in the kitchen. But by making and sticking to a shopping list, taking advantage of sales, choosing seasonal produce and opting for cheaper store brands over national labels, it’s completely doable.

I’ve been a fan of manicotti composed with homemade crepes ever since my Italian neighbor, Josephine, taught me how to make the dish more than a decade ago. The occasion: a surprise birthday party for my husband. The goal: a dish that would feel special but still prove affordable since I would be feeding a crowd.

Manicotti checked both boxes brilliantly, and is now a staple at family gatherings both large and small. It should be in your regular rotation, too, since it’s a hearty dish that satisfies even big appetites but manages to also taste delicate. Made with eggs and milk, the light and fluffy crepes become incredibly tender when baked. Not surprisingly, they also have a much better flavor than dried pasta tubes.

At first glance, the recipe might give one pause because eggs still cost a king’s ransom. But you need only four, which adds just $1.80 to the overall cost of the entree.

In fact, the $3 Italian loaf used to make the garlic bread was the most expensive item on my shopping list — more costly than a pound of super-thin asparagus I found on sale for $2.49, and also pricier than each of the store-brand cheeses that went into the rich, velvety pasta filling.

Cook’s note: Crepe-making can be really intimidating if you’ve never tried it. But with a little practice and a good nonstick pan, you’ll soon be a pro. And diners will immediately notice the difference.

As always, shop your fridge and pantry before heading to the grocery store. For this meal, “freebies” included all the spices, the cooking oil, the baking soda, the cream of tartar and the sugar sprinkled on top of the cookies.

Garlic Bread

Serves 4-6. Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette

This recipe is so easy — you just have to spread a split loaf of French or Italian bread with a heady mix of garlic, butter, salt and fresh parsley. Then, bake until golden and crispy.

1/2 cup unsalted butter, 1 stick, at room temperature

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 (15-ounce) loaf French or Italian bread or baguette

Flaky sea salt

Red pepper flakes, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper; place oven rack in the top third of the oven.

In a small bowl, stir together the softened butter, parsley, garlic and salt.

Using a serrated knife, slice the bread in half lengthwise, then slather the cut sides with garlic butter.

Place bread cut side up on baking sheet, and bake until the butter is melted and bread is crispy around the edges, 8-10 minutes.

Sprinkle with salt and red pepper flakes, if using, slice and serve hot.

Roasted Asparagus

Serves 4. Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette

Asparagus is one of the first vegetables to arrive in spring and often is on sale. Usually steamed, it’s tossed in olive oil in this recipe and roasted until fork-tender. So simple, so delicious.

1 pound asparagus spears, woody ends snapped off

Drizzle of olive oil

Pinch of kosher salt

Ground black pepper

1/2 lemon, for squeezing

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place asparagus on the sheet and drizzle with 1 or 2 teaspoons olive oil, just enough to lightly coat the asparagus. Sprinkle salt and pepper on and toss until the spears are lightly coated in oil. Spread them out in a single layer on the pan.

Bake just until the base of a stalk is easily pierced. Very thin asparagus will only take as little as 9 minutes; thicker spears might take 15-20 minutes.

Transfer roasted asparagus to a serving platter. Add a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve.

Homemade 3-Cheese Manicotti

Makes about 15 crepes, serving 4-6. Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette

Making crepes is just like making pancakes — the first one or two probably won’t be perfect, but once you get the hang of things (and the right heat in the pan), it’s easy. You do, however, have to be speedy and keep swirling the pan the entire time — crepes cook in around 20 seconds.

Be sure to chill the batter before cooking so the flour can fully absorb the liquid. (The crepes will be more tender.) I whisked it by hand, but you also could whirl it in a blender.

If the tomato sauce seems too thin, add a little tomato paste to thicken.

For sauce:

1 large garlic clove, crushed

One 28-ounce can crushed plum tomatoes

Pinch red pepper flakes

Pinch dried oregano, optional

For crepes:

4 eggs

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup milk

1 cup flour

Pinch of salt

For filling:

15-ounce container ricotta

1/2 cup grated or shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling

2 cups shredded mozzarella

Pinch of red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 teaspoon salt

A few pinches of freshly ground nutmeg

Prepare sauce: Add olive oil to a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat. When it sizzles, add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add crushed tomatoes and 1 cup water, along with a pinch or two of red pepper flakes and oregano, if using. Stir to combine, then season to taste with a pinch or two of salt. Turn heat to medium-low and let simmer while you prepare crepes and filling.

Make crepes: In medium bowl, whisk eggs, milk and water together until well combined. Slowly add flour, continually whisking until you have a smooth batter with a texture of heavy cream.

Place in refrigerator to rest for at least 30 minutes. (This will make the crepes more tender.)

Prepare filling: In a large bowl, add ricotta, Parmesan, shredded mozzarella, a pinch of red pepper flakes, parsley, salt and nutmeg. Taste, and add more salt if it seems underseasoned.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and lightly brush a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with oil.

Make the crepes: Remove batter from fridge and whisk it briefly to dissolve any lumps. Heat an 8-inch nonstick crepe pan over medium heat. (You also can use a regular nonstick pan or a cast-iron skillet brushed with melted butter.)

Add a scant 1/4 cup of batter (just enough to cover the bottom of the pan) and swirl it in a circle to spread a thin, even layer of batter on the bottom and up the sides of the pan.

When bubbles spring up and crepe edges appear dry, about 30 seconds, use a rubber or offset spatula to carefully flip it over and continue cooking for another few seconds.

Transfer to plate to cool, and repeat with remaining crepe batter. Don’t worry about stacking them — they won’t stick. (If you’re not using right away, cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.) You should get around 15 crepes.

Spread 2 generous tablespoons of cheese mixture across each crepe, and roll up burrito style. Spread a layer of marinara in the bottom of the baking pan(s) and place crepes seam-side down on top of sauce. Spread a little more sauce on top and sprinkle with additional Parmesan.

Cover with foil, and bake for 25-30 minutes, until sauce is bubbling and cheese is browned. Serve hot, with a little more grated cheese for passing.

Lemon Ginger Crinkles

Makes about 4 dozen cookies. “Betty Crocker Found Recipes: Beloved Vintage Recipes Worth Sharing”

Lemon zest and ginger give these traditional sugar crinkle cookies a gentle flavor boost.

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1 tablespoon lemon zest, from 1 lemon

1 egg

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 cup granulated sugar, for rolling

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In large bowl, mix brown sugar, shortening, lemon zest and egg until well combined.

Stir in egg, flour, baking soda, cream or tartar, salt and ground ginger.

In small bowl, place granulated sugar. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; dip tops into granulated sugar.

On 2 ungreased cookie sheets, arrange balls, sugared sides up, about 3 inches apart. Press with a fork to create ridges.

Bake cookies for 10-11 minutes, or until almost no indentation remains when touched. Immediately remove cookie sheet to cooling rack, and repeat with second cookie sheet.

Continue forming and baking cookies with remaining dough.