Crespelle alla Fiorentina / Baked Crepes Florentine Style

February 6, 2022

Serves 4-6

You will need 8 pancakes (10 if small). You can use your favourite recipe or follow the proportions below, frying the crepes as you normally do.

For the crepes:

  • 100g of plain flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 250 ml of full fat milk
  • salt
  • a little butter for frying

For the filling:

  • about 350 g of ricotta
  • 400 g of spinach leaves
  • 1 egg
  •  nutmeg
  • salt 
  • pepper

For the béchamel sauce and the tomato topping:

  • 40 g of butter
  • 40 g of flour, sifted
  • 400-450 ml of full fat milk
  • salt 
  • nutmeg
  • a few tablespoons of tomato passata or tomato sauce
  • a handful of grated parmesan
  • 10-15 g of butter

Wash the leaves carefully and cut off any hard stems.

Bring a large pot of water to the boil, add some salt and after that the spinach leaves. 

Boil them for a few minutes until they start turning soft which will take about 3 minutes. Once the leaves have turned soft, drain them in a colander and run cold water over them. Toss the cooked leaves and check if they are cold.

Wait for about 20 minutes allowing the water to drain from the leaves. Now squeeze out very well the remaining liquid with your hands. You can now chop the boiled spinach leaves.

Pass the ricotta through a fine sieve, which will result in a much creamier consistency. 

In a large bowl mix the ricotta cheese, chopped spinach and one egg. Once the ingredients are well combined season with some nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.  

Now prepare the béchamel sauce:

Melt the butter in a pan, stir in the flour and cook over a medium heat for a couple of minutes. Gradually (very important, otherwise you risk having lumps) whisk in the milk until it is incorporated  and keep stirring whilst you bring the sauce to the boil. Continue stirring for a couple of minutes until thickened. Season with some salt and nutmeg and taste again. 

Spread a couple of tablespoons of the béchamel sauce on the bottom of the baking dish.

Spread equally the ricotta and spinach mixture over the pancakes (leave some margin around the edges, say 1.5 cm). Now you can either roll the pancakes or fold them into triangles (fold the pancakes in half and then in half again). 

Arrange neatly the crepes in the prepared baking dish (the triangles can overlap). 

Cover with the béchamel sauce, drizzle with some pasta on top a sprinkle with the parmesan.

Dot small pieces of the butter around and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes until golden in colour.