Crespelle are thin Italian crêpes that I love to use for a lighter, more delicate version of baked manicotti. Filled with fresh ricotta and herbs and topped with my Simple Marinara (page 106), they make a gorgeous fresh-made dinner in minutes. But I also love how versatile they are: Fill them with any combo of sausage, scrambled eggs, cheeses, and asparagus, then roll them up and top them with Hollandaise Sauce (see page 46) for an Italian-style breakfast burrito. The technique for making them is so pleasurable and satisfying, it’s almost addictive. I used to have to make one hundred crespelle every Friday night at the Symphony Café to prep for Saturday morning brunch, and I loved it! (I warn you, you’ll find yourself in a crespelle-making rhythm screaming “ninety-nine . . . one hundred!”) Let’s face it, the first crespelle, just like pancakes, will always turn out to be a stinker, but once you get the hang of it, expect to yield 8 to 9 crespelle from this recipe. Note: Crespelle stay fresh for up to 2 days in the refrigerator, but because they are so light and delicate, they can dry out fast. If you plan on making them ahead of time, stack them up while cooking as directed, but before storing, brush them with 2 Tbsp melted butter and then restack them. Let them get very cold in the refrigerator before covering with plastic wrap. If you cover them before the melted butter has had a chance to solidify, it will harden and stick to the plastic, and the crespelle will break when you uncover them. Been there, done that, and it sucked.
SERVES 6 TO 8
Crespelle
3 Tbsp butter
2 eggs
3/4 cup [180 ml] whole milk
1 cup [140 g] all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Ricotta Filling
24 oz [680 g] fresh whole-milk ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 cup [30 g] freshly grated pecorino cheese, plus more for garnish
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh basil leaves
1 Tbsp finely chopped
Italian parsley
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
3 cups [720 ml] Simple Marinara (page 106)
To make the crespelle: In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, add the butter and let it melt. Continue to cook for about 2 minutes, watching carefully for these marvelous things to happen: The butter will foam and take on an amber hue, going from light tan to toasty brown. Tiny bubbles will form, and brown specks will appear on the bottom of the saucepan. You will also smell a wonderfully nutty aroma. Transfer the butter to a heat-proof bowl, leaving behind as much of the sandy flecks as you can, and let cool for 2 to 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, crack the eggs into a large bowl and gently whisk. Add the milk, 1/2 cup [120 ml] of water, the flour, browned butter, and salt. Gently whisk until just combined and allow to rest at room temperature, about 20 minutes.
Warm a 10 in [25 cm] nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, about 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the stove and, using a measuring cup or 2 oz [60 ml] ladle, add 1/4 cup [60 ml] batter, tilting the skillet around in the air so that the batter evenly distributes and uniformly coats the bottom—it can even come up the sides a bit. Keep the skillet off the stove until the batter begins to stick and form from the residual heat of the skillet. Once formed, return the skillet to the heat and count from 1 to 10. Done. (You don’t want the crespelle to brown at all—it needs to remain pliable so that you can fill and fold it).
Remove the skillet from the heat and, using a rubber spatula, loosen the crespelle around the edges and flip it, using your hands to smooth it out if necessary. Use a rubber spatula (or your hands) and slide the crespelle out of the pan and onto a large plate. As you form and stack the crespelle, they will continue to cook from the heat of one another (how nice!). Continue cooking the crespelle until you have used up all of your batter, stacking them up until ready to fill.
To make the ricotta filling: In a large bowl, combine the ricotta and egg and, using a wooden spoon, mix until well incorporated. Add the pecorino, basil, parsley, red pepper flakes, and several grinds of black pepper and mix to combine. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 425°F [220°C]. Coat the bottom of a 9 by 13 in [23 by 33 cm] baking dish with 1/2 cup [120 ml] of the marinara. Set aside.
To assemble the crespelle: Using a sharp knife, cut the stack of crespelle in half, horizontally, to yield 16 to 18 half-moon shapes. Working with one crespelle at a time, spoon about 3 Tbsp [45 g] of the ricotta mixture along one edge (righties go right; lefties go left). Starting from the ricotta-filled edge, fold inward to meet the middle, sealing the ricotta. Fold over once more to meet the other side of the crespelle, creating a flat, conical-shaped package.
Place the crespelle side by side in alternating directions (they should be snuggled up to one another) and spoon 11/2 cups [360 ml] of the marinara along the top of the dish, along with more sprinkles of freshly grated pecorino. Bake until the edges start to crisp, the ricotta cheese filling bubbles out a bit, and the cheese browns on top, about 15 minutes.
Divide among plates and garnish with the remaining 1 cup [240 ml] of marinara (warming it through in a small saucepan over low heat, if necessary). Serve immediately and listen to your people say, “Make these again!”
