Crespelle are the Italian equivalent of French Crêpes or pancakes and can be enjoyed as a sweet or savoury dish. Sometimes used as a substitute for pasta in dishes such as Lasagne and Cannelloni.
To celebrate Pancake Day this year, we've created a recipe using our best-selling Montgomery's Cheddar and Parmigiano Reggiano - combined with spinach and baked in a fresh tomato sauce for a deliciously savoury Pancake Day feast. Read on to find out more...
Serves 4
Ingredients for pancakes:
150g Plain Flour
Pinch of Salt
3 Eggs
2 Tbsp Freshly Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
30-35 ml Milk
50ml Olive Oil
Ingredients for filling:
150g Montgomery’s Cheddar
150g Freshly Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
5 Strips Prosciutto chopped
4 Tbsp Chopped Parsley
100g Spinach
1 Tsp Nutmeg
Salt & Pepper (to taste)
Ingredients for sauce:
30ml Olive Oil
2 Garlic Cloves
400g Cherry Tomatoes
1 Tsp Caster Sugar
2 Tsp Tomato Puree
1 Tsp Oregano
50ml Water
Salt & Pepper (to taste)
Method
1) Preheat oven to 200°c (Fan oven 180°c).
2) Combine the flour, eggs, milk, salt, and 2 tbsp of grated Parmigiano Reggiano to make the pancake batter. Whisk together and gradually add the milk until smooth and silky.
3) Over a medium heat, place a small amount of olive oil in the pan and add a thin layer of the pancake batter. Swirl around to cover the base of the frying pan. Once the underneath of the pancake is lightly coloured and it comes away easily from the sides, turn over and cook the other side. Slide the pancake onto a plate and repeat until you have 8 good pancakes.
4) To make the filling, mix the remaining grated Parmigiano Reggiano, 120g of grated Montgomery’s Cheddar, spinach, parsley (save a sprinkling for the top), nutmeg, chopped prosciutto, and salt and pepper to taste.
5) Taking one pancake at a time, place a spoonful of your filling mixture to one side of the pancake and roll it into a sausage-like shape. Repeat this for all eight pancakes and place in an oven-proof baking dish.
6) To make the sauce, take 30ml of olive oil and place over medium heat with the tomatoes, two crushed garlic cloves, and oregano - until the tomatoes are blistered.
7) Add two tbsp of tomato puree, caster sugar, 50ml of water and a pinch of salt and pepper and leave over medium heat for 5 minutes.
8) Once the sauce has begun to boil, turn off the heat. Either using a blender or hand-blender, gently pulp the sauce until thick and slightly chunky. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper where needed.
9) Pour your sauce over the pancakes and use the remaining Montgomery’s Cheddar and parsley to sprinkle over the top.
10) Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
11) Serve and enjoy!
