Crespelle are savory Italian Crepes. They are the easiest of pastas and wrapped around filling make wonderful cannelloni. I used them to make Cheese Cannelloni so I had a meatless option on my dinner party buffet.
Debra of Eliot's Eats is hosting this month and invited us to join her in watching or rewatching Eat Pray Love starring Julia Roberts.
This film follows the life of American author, Elizabeth Gilbert, as she spends a year following a divorce and mental breakdown traveling and healing.
Elizabeth first travels to Italy where she learns to nourish her body. From Italy she travels to India where she learns to nourish her soul. Her final journey to Bali is where she learns to nourish herself.
When Elizabeth is explaining to her friend why she is starting in Italy, she asks "What did you have for lunch today?" The friend responds that she didn't know....Elizabeth says something along the lines of Exactly.....we eat our salads like robots without ever stopping to think about why we are eating, what we are eating or enjoying our food.
Elizabeth arrives in Italy determined to learn to love and accept food as a way to nourish the body and soul that she is also hoping to learn to love and accept. Italy was a great choice because if there is any food more comforting than pasta.....I'm not sure what it is.
Once I had decided that I was going to make pasta, I went in search of a new Meatless recipe as I was hosting a family dinner and have members who are non meat eaters. I always try to have at least one filling dish that is meatless on our table.
I went looking in my trusty Pasta Cookbook from Food & Wine. I first saw the recipe for "The Best Cheese Cannelloni" and saw that it referred back to the Crespelle recipe.
I decided to make and share the Crespelle with you today. I did use the cheese filling from the recipe in the book but used purchased Marinara for the sauce instead of the Zesty Tomato Sauce which they suggested and was another recipe in this cookbook.
We are also reading Eat Pray Love for our Lit Happens online book club this month. I am reading the first section that takes place in Italy right now and already have an idea of the recipe I will be sharing when I review the memoir.
I had read this book many years ago, prior to my blogging days, and had forgotten how brutally honest Gilbert is about herself and her struggles. The movie isn't able to show Gilbert's self dialogue so I didn't connect with her in the film as much as on the page.
That being said, I did enjoy the film and was glad it started in Italy because after that Elizabeth is done nourishing the body and working on her soul.....not much food inspiration there.
Stay tuned for the review of the book and the recipe it inspired me to make. I am sharing my cookbook review today with Foodies Read. Stop by and see what the others are reading this month.
Yield: 14 Crespelle
Crespelle
These Italian Crepes are a wonderful and easy pasta to wrap around your favorite filling and serve baked up as Cannelloni.
Prep time: 3 MinCook time: 7 MinInactive time: 30 MinTotal time: 40 Min
Ingredients
Crespelle
- 3/4 c. flour
- pinch of salt
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 c. milk
- 3 T. olive oil + more for cooking
Instructions
- Place the flour, salt, eggs, milk and oil in a blender or food processor and whir until smooth.
- Pour into a bowl and let rest for half an hour.
- Heat a 6-7" skillet over medium high heat. Brush with a small amount of olive oil and then add about 3 Tablespoons of the batter to the skillet.
- Cook until the crespelle is browned at the edges, about 30 seconds, and then flip and cook for another few seconds.
- Remove to a plate or piece of parchment paper and repeat until all batter is gone, stacking the crespelle as they finish.
- Crespelle are now ready to be filled with desired ingredients, covered in your favorite sauce, sprinkled with cheese and baked as Cannelloni.
Notes
Adapted from a recipe by Food & Wine
Nutrition Facts
Calories
80.07Fat (grams)
4.81 gSat. Fat (grams)
1.2 gCarbs (grams)
6.4 gFiber (grams)
0.18 gNet carbs
6.22 gSugar (grams)
1.31 gProtein (grams)
2.74 gSodium (milligrams)
26.28 mgCholesterol (grams)
38.21 mgProperty of A Day in the Life on the Farm
My dad loves these, can't wait to make them for him!
ReplyDeleteI hope he enjoys them Jolene. Let me know.
DeleteLooks delicious.
ReplyDeleteThanks Cathy
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