Manicotti, made with tender egg crepes called Crespelle

Being Italian has always meant pasta, but since my surgery, I do not eat macaroni anymore. I grab a meatball or have sauce over ricotta with lots of parmesan cheese.

Once in a while I do make a pan of Manicotti but I use very thin eggy crepes called crespelle instead of pasta. They are easy to make and really delicious.

Ingredients

Crespelle

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Filling

• 1 1/2 cups ricotta
• 1 tablespoon chopped flat leaf Italian parsley
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• Salt and freshly ground pepper - I also use a few grates of nutmeg but this is optional
• 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce

Instructions

• Measure the flour and salt into a large bowl
• Whisk the eggs with the milk and olive oil in a small bowl or large measuring cup. Add the egg mixture to the flour and whisk until very smooth. Cover the batter and chill for 30 to 60 minutes.
• Heat a 6 or 8 inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat and spray with Pam.
• Pour in 1/4 cup of the batter and tilt the skillet to quickly coat the entire pan bottom in a round.
• Cook until golden on the bottom, 60 to 90 seconds - flip and cook 60 seconds longer or until browned - remove to a plate.
• Repeat with the remaining batter to make approximately 8 crespelle.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
• Blend the ricotta with the parsley and half of the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
• Lay a crespelle on a work surface and picture it as having 4 quarters. Place 2 tablespoons of filling in one quarter, fold in half, then in half again.
• Spread a light coating of the marinara in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Arrange each filled crespelle in the dish as it is made, overlapping slightly
• Top with the remaining marinara sauce and sprinkle with the remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
• Bake until golden brown and bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes.