Crepe Cannelloni

Episode 75 - Crepe Cannelloni

Ingredients:

  • Crepes:
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 cups of plain flour
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 tablespoons of oil
  • 400mls of water
  • Small pan – approx 20cm

    Filling:

  • 1kg of fresh ricotta
  • 200gms grated Pecorino or Romano cheese.
  • 2 egg yolks
  • A bunch of fresh spinach or 2 packets of frozen spinach.
  • Pinch of salt
  • Freshly ground pepper

    Sauce:

  • 1 litre of Italian tomato sauce
  • Olive oil
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • Slice of red capsicum
  • 1 stalk of celery
  • Basil
  • Parsley
  • Chilli (optional)
  • 2 cups of water

Method:

Crepes:

  1. Place all the ingredients into a food processor and blend until the mixture is smooth.
  2. Allow to stand for half an hour. (optional)
  3. Heat up the pan. This may take a minute. Make sure the heat is at the medium level.
  4. Spray with a non-stick cooking oil if necessary.
  5. Pour in a sufficient amount of batter into the pan and roll until the bottom is covered.
  6. Allow the crepe to set, then turn over.
  7. The crepes will be cooked when they slightly begin to colour.

Filling:

  1. Use only the green leaves of the fresh spinach.
  2. Wash thoroughly and cook the spinach in boiling water for a few minutes. Allow to cool.
  3. or thaw the frozen spinach.
  4. Roll the spinach into a ball and squeeze out as much water as possible. This is very important, otherwise the filling will be too soft.
  5. Chop up the spinach.
  6. Combine all the ingredients into a bowl and mix thoroughly.
  7. Place one heaped tablespoon of filling onto a crepe and roll tightly.
  8. Place it aside and repeat until all crepes are used.

Sauce:

  1. Place a small amount of olive oil in a saucepan.
  2. Add all the other ingredients.
  3. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and allow to simmer for about one hour.
  4. Ensure that the sauce is runny, as the crepes will absorb a lot of moisture while in the oven.
  5. If necessary, just add more water to the sauce to keep it thin and runny.
  6. (HINT: Prepare the sauce first, so it is cooking while you make the crepes and the filling.)

Finale:

  1. Pour some of the cooked sauce into a baking dish.
  2. Arrange the filled crepes in the dish. Make sure the fold is underneath.
  3. Do not overfill the dish or layer the crepes on top as they will expand during the cooking process.
  4. Pour the remainder of the sauce over the crepes, ensuring that there is sauce in-between the crepes as well.
  5. Allow to cook for 45 minutes in a moderate oven. Ensure that the oven is preheated & then place 2 cannelloni in a plate. Spoon a little sauce over them and sprinkle with grated cheese.