While this dish may not look like much, it makes up for its modest appearance with decadent cheesiness. I love crepes...maybe more than I care to admit. These Crespelle al Formaggio are basically the macaroni and cheese of crepes, so it's okay to eat them as a meal. Unlike these (which I could eat every single day for the rest of my life). Ricotta, Mozzarella, and Pecorino make for a flavorful yet delicate filling in these crepes. Next time I think I will use Fontina instead of the Pecorino, since Fontina is one of my favorite cheeses. Did I mention the salami? The Italian salami in the filling adds a salty bite, but these would also be delicious if you left it out.
If you've never made crepes before, don't expect perfection on your first try. Practice makes perfect. Julia Child always made hers on super high heat and could cook them perfectly in mere seconds. I am more of a "slow and steady wins the race" style of crepe maker. I use a little bit lower temperature, giving me more time to watch them until they're perfectly ready to be flipped. It may not be how Julia did it, but it works for me. You can read more about making crepes in this post.
Crespelle al Formaggio (Crepes with Three Cheeses)
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: Serves about 6
Ingredients
For the Crepe Batter:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups whole milk
For the Filling:
- 2 ½ cups ricotta (homemade is best)
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, grated
- 1 cup grated young pecorino (or other soft sheep's milk cheese)
- 8 ounces Italian salami, cut into ⅛-inch dice (optional)
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
Instructions
To make the batter:
- Mix flour, eggs, salt,and milk in a blender until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
To Make the filling:
- Combine the ricotta, mozzarella, pecorino, salami, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Stir with spatula until smooth and fully combined.
- Heat a crepe pan or skillet over medium-high heat until hot. (If you're new to crepe-making, I would recommend using a lower temperature at first until you get the hang of it.) Brush pan with olive oil, reduce the heat to medium, and pour a few tablespoons of batter into the pan, swirling to coat the bottom of the pan evenly with the batter. Cook until lightly golden, about 30-40 seconds.
- Flip crepe over gently and cook the other side for about 20-30 seconds.
- Continue making crepes until all the batter has been used. You should have 12-15 crepes.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish with some of the butter.
- Set aside ¼ cup of the filling mixture for the topping. Fill each crepe with 3 or 4 tablespoons of the filling and carefully fold the crepe in half.
- Arrange the crepes, overlapping slightly, in the baking dish.Spread the reserved filling over the top and dot with the remaining butter.
- Bake 12 to 15 minutes until very hot and crisp on top. Serve hot.
Notes
Adapted from Molto Italiano by Mario Batali
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