Crepe Lasagna Filled with Ricotta and Sp
Source of Recipe
Mary Ellen of That's My Home recipe board
List of Ingredients
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1/2 cup club soda
1 tablespoon sugar
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups flour
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, melted
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Filling (see recipe)
Bechamel (see recipe)
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
3 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Make the crepes: Whisk the eggs in a medium mixing bowl until blended. Pour in milk, water and club soda; stir together until blended. Add sugar, lemon zest and salt and blend well. Gradually sift in flour, stirring constantly until smooth. Stir in melted butter. Batter will have consistency of melted ice cream.
Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in an 8-inch crepe pan over medium-high heat, swirl the pan to coat it evenly with oil, then pour off excess. Holding the pan at a 45-degree angle, pour 3 tablespoons of the batter into the pan, allowing it to run down from the highest point. The secret to making thin, even crepes is to flex your wrist, distributing batter over entire bottom of pan as quickly as possible before batter has a chance to set.
Return pan to heat, reduce heat to medium and cook until underside of crepe is lacy and lightly browned, 30 to 40 seconds. Flip it carefully with a spatula and cook second side until it is lightly browned in spots, about 1 minute.
Slide crepe from pan onto a large plate and repeat process with remaining batter, re-oiling pan only as necessary and stacking finished crepes one atop another. Crepes can be prepared up to a day in advance, covered tightly with plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator until needed. Makes about 32 crepes.
The day before planning to serve lasagna, prepare filling.
No earlier than 3 hours before serving, make bechamel.
To finish: Using room-temperature butter, grease bottom and sides of a 13-by-9-inch ceramic or glass baking dish. Arrange as many crepes as necessary, side by side and barely overlapping, so they cover sides of dish completely and overhang sides of dish by about 2 inches. Cover exposed parts with additional crepes.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Reserve 1 cup of the bechamel sauce and 2 cups of the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano to dress the top of the pasticciata. Spread 1/3 cup of the bechamel in an even layer over the crepes lining the dish. Spread 11/2 cups of ricotta filling over bechamel and top with another layer of 1/3 cup of bechamel. Sprinkle 1/3 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano over bechamel. Cover with a layer of crepes. Make another layer using half the remaining ricotta mixture, bechamel and grated cheese. Top with a layer of crepes.
Make final layer using remaining ricotta mixture, bechamel and grated cheese. Fold overhanging edges of crepes over top layer of filling. Top any uncovered filling with additional crepes. Spread reserved 1 cup of bechamel in an even layer over the pasticciata, then sprinkle on reserved 2 cups of Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Bake in preheated oven until top of pasticciata is well browned and edges are crispy, about 30 minutes. Remove and let cool 15 to 30 minutes. Cut pasticciata into squares and serve. Makes 6 servings.
Filling
1 1/2 pounds fresh ricotta cheese
2 pounds spinach
Salt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 leeks, white parts only, trimmed, cleaned and chopped (about 3 cups)
1 bunch green onions, trimmed and chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound mascarpone
8 fresh sage leaves, chopped
20 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
Spoon ricotta into a large, fine mesh sieve. Place sieve over a bowl and cover the ricotta with plastic wrap. Let the ricotta drain in the refrigerator overnight or up to 24 hours. Discard the liquid in the bottom of the bowl.
Remove the stems from the spinach. Wash and dry the leaves. Stir the greens into a large pot of boiling salted water and cook, stirring once or twice, until tender, about 2 minutes. Drain the greens in a colander and rinse them under cold water until cool enough to handle. With your hands, squeeze out as much water as you can from the greens. Chop coarsely.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the leeks and scallions and cook until wilted, about 4 minutes. Stir in the greens and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Remove and cool.
Turn the drained ricotta into a clean bowl. Whisk the eggs together with 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper; then beat them into the ricotta. Stir in the mascarpone, herbs and greens mixture until blended.
Bechamel
1 quart milk
Salt
Freshly ground white pepper
2 large pinches of freshly grated nutmeg
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup flour
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Pour milk into a medium saucepan, season lightly with salt and pepper, add nutmeg and toss in bay leaf. Heat over medium-low heat until bubbles form around edge. Remove and keep hot.
Melt butter in a separate medium saucepan over medium heat. When it starts to foam, dump in flour and whisk until smooth. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until flour mixture changes color, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour seasoned hot milk into flour mixture in a steady stream, whisking constantly. Cook sauce, whisking constantly and paying special attention to bottom and corners of pan, until sauce comes to a simmer. Adjust heat to a low boil and cook, whisking constantly, until sauce is thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in grated cheese.
Strain sauce through a fine sieve and into a clean bowl. Keep at room temperature with a piece of plastic wrap on it up to 3 hours.
Recipe
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