Crespelle are an elegant alternative to pasta & co. They are filled with an irresistible mixture of creamy ricotta, tangy Parmesan and fresh spinach, topped with a generous amount of béchamel sauce and baked in the oven. This dish transports you straight to the cozy trattorias of Italy.

Amount

servings

Ingredients list

Crespelle

125 g pastry flour (UK: soft / patent)
300 ml milk
2 eggs
butter

Filling

350 g ricotta cheese
200 g leaf spinach fresh
50 g parmesan cheese grated
1 clove garlic
salt
olive oil extra virgin

Béchamel sauce

250 ml milk
25 g butter
25 g pastry flour (UK: soft / patent)
salt
nutmeg

Difficulty: easy

Cost: low

Calories: 514kcal

Prep: 25

Cook: 25

Total: 50

sugar free

Difficulty: easy

Cost: low

Calories: 514kcal

Prep: 25

Cook: 25

Total: 50

sugar free

Directions

Crespelle

First place the flour and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Add the milk and mix with a whisk to form a lump-free mixture.
125 g pastry flour, 300 ml milk
Crack the eggs into a small bowl and whisk thoroughly with a fork.
2 eggs
Now add the beaten eggs to the flour and milk mixture and work in thoroughly with a whisk.
Now heat a large frying pan. Melt a small knob of butter in the pan for each crespella. Then quickly pour a ladleful of the batter into the hot pan and swirl gently so that the batter is evenly distributed. Bake the batter for one minute, then turn it over and leave it in the pan for another minute. Then transfer to a plate and prepare the next crespella.

Ricotta spinach filling

Wash the spinach leaves and shake dry. Heat a small pan with a dash of olive oil. Add the peeled garlic and spinach and sauté over a low heat for 5 minutes. Then remove the garlic, place the spinach in a bowl and leave to cool briefly.
200 g leaf spinach, 1 clove garlic
Then add the grated parmesan and ricotta. Season with salt and mix everything thoroughly.
350 g ricotta cheese, 50 g parmesan cheese

Béchamel sauce

Heat the milk in a saucepan. Melt the butter in a separate pan over a low heat, remove from the heat and stir in the flour vigorously with a whisk. Simmer over a low heat until the roux is golden yellow.
25 g butter, 25 g pastry flour, 250 ml milk
Stir the roux into the hot milk and season with nutmeg and salt. Leave to thicken over a low heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring constantly.

Prepare crespelle

Prepare a large casserole dish and spread some béchamel sauce evenly over the base. Preheat the oven to 250°C / 480°F.
Now take one crespella at a time, add some of the ricotta and spinach mixture and spread evenly. Leave approx. 1cm / ½in of the edge free. Fold them first into a semicircle and then into a quarter circle.
Then place the filled crespelle in the casserole dish and arrange them slightly overlapping. Pour the remaining béchamel sauce over the top and place the dish in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
Remove the baked crespelle, arrange in portions and serve immediately.
Buon appetito!

Calories: 514kcal (26%)Carbohydrates: 41g (14%)Protein: 28g (56%)Fat: 27g (42%)Saturated fatty acids: 16g (80%)Polyunsaturated fatty acids: 1gMonounsaturated fatty acids: 7gTrans fatty acids: 0.2gCholesterol: 165mg (55%)