The term crespella derives from “crespo”, an ancient word meaning wrinkled; the French have also adopted this name, translating it into crêpe. Did you know that? But there’s more.. Keep reading and you’ll find it out.
Florentine style crepes, that here we call crespelle alla fiorentina, is a traditional Tuscan first course: thin omelettes filled with ricotta and spinaches, topped with béchamel sauce and tomato, then gratinated to create a true delight for the palate. It seems that this dish was inspired by Caterina de’ Medici, the first Florentine on the throne of France, who supposedly exported to Paris the secrets of this Tuscan, unsatisfied with the cooking of the chefs at the court of her husband, Henry II.
In the Tuscan countryside of yesteryear, crespelle were also called “pezzole della nonna” because of their triangular shape and the way the central part puffed up due to the filling. This vaguely resembled the heads of grandmothers who always wore the “pezzola” on their heads, a handkerchief folded and tied to protect themselves from the cold or the sun.
The Bartolozzi family used to cook lasagna with “salsa colla“, so-termed because of its use in the kitchen as a binder, which is none other than the ancestor of béchamel sauce that mamma Donatella always used for crespelle, made with spinach from the vegetable garden, and not merely. Crespelle are a lovely embrace, a bond between past and present that warms the hearts of all diners.
Crespelle alla fiorentina’s recipe
At Poggio al Bosco, crespelle are one of the family’s Sunday courses. Mamma Donatella prepares them with vegetables from the garden, following their seasonality: asparagus, artichokes, pumpkin, and chards are some of her favorites, but the undisputed kings of the recipe, as we know, are spinach.
It is a simple recipe that only requires time and patience, blending the rural tradition with the authentic flavors of the land.
Ingredients (for 4 people)
For the crespelle:
• 125 g of flour
• 250 ml of milk
• 2 eggs
• 50 g of butter
• Salt
• Evo oil to taste
For the filling:
• 300 g of spinach
• 200 g of ricotta cheese
• 2 spoons of Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg
• Salt and pepper
• Nutmeg
For the dressing:
• Béchamel
• Tomato sauce
• Grated Parmesan cheese
Procedure
Start by preparing the filling: once the spinaches are boiled, squeeze and chop them finely. Put them in a bowl and add ricotta, Parmesan, egg, salt, pepper, and nutmeg, then blend until you get a homogeneous mixture.
Prepare the batter by combining flour with salt, then add the eggs, gradually stir in the cold milk, and add the melted butter. Mix everything and let it rest for at least half an hour. Heat a non-stick pan with a drizzle of evo oil and cook 8 crêpes with the batter, flipping them only once.
Fill them with the previously prepared filling and roll them up like cannoli. Butter the bottom of a rectangular baking dish, then place the crespelle in it and cover with béchamel sauce. Dot with some tomato sauce and sprinkle with cheese. Finally, bake in the oven at 160°C for about 20 minutes for a light gratin as the icing on the cake.
Tips
Even though it may seem a binding preparation, Donatella has a special tip: you can prepare all the necessary ingredients, such as crespelle, béchamel sauce, and filling in advance, then assemble the dish last minute. Alternatively, you can cook the finished dish the day before and reheat it with a drop of milk just before dinner, when the guests are already sitting at the table.
Pairing
The perfect pairing for crespelle is our Chianti DOCG Riserva: since it has a light spiciness and soft tannins, they harmoniously blend with the spinach and white sauce stuffing in the mouth.
