Crespelle alla Fiorentina con Spinaci e Besciamella

Ingredients

• For the crespelle batter
• 150 g plain flour
• 3 eggs
• 350 ml whole milk
• 20 g unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for the pan
• 1 pinch fine salt
• For the filling
• 500 g fresh spinach, blanched, squeezed very dry, finely chopped
• 400 g ricotta, drained
• 1 egg
• 60 g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
• 1 pinch nutmeg, freshly grated
• 1 tsp fine salt, to season
• For the béchamel
• 500 ml whole milk, warmed
• 40 g unsalted butter
• 40 g plain flour
• 1 pinch nutmeg, freshly grated
• 1 pinch fine salt
• To finish
• 40 g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated, for the top
• 20 g unsalted butter, for the baking dish

Method

1. 1
   Whisk the flour, eggs, melted butter, and salt together in a bowl. Add the milk gradually, whisking to a smooth batter with the consistency of single cream. Cover and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. The batter is ready when it coats the back of a spoon lightly and runs off in an even, unbroken sheet.
2. 2
   Heat a small pan over medium heat and rub it with a little butter. Pour in just enough batter to coat the base thinly — more than a French crêpe, giving the crespella body enough to carry the filling and withstand baking. Cook for approximately 1 minute per side. The crespella is done when it is pale, with faint irregular spots, and lifts cleanly from the pan. Continue until all batter is used.
3. 3
   Blanch the spinach briefly in salted boiling water, drain, and squeeze with both hands until absolutely no moisture remains. Chop finely. Combine with the ricotta, egg, Parmigiano, nutmeg, and salt. Mix until uniform. This is the step on which the dish lives or dies: wet spinach will turn the filling runny and the assembled crespelle will become soggy under baking — the filling must hold its shape when a spoon is drawn through it.
4. 4
   Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add the flour, and stir for 1 minute. Add the warmed milk in a steady stream, whisking constantly. Cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the spoon firmly and a channel drawn through the back holds its shape. Season with salt and nutmeg. The béchamel must be thick — a thin sauce will run off the assembled dish and will not form a golden crust.
5. 5
   Lay a crespella flat, spread a generous line of filling across the lower third, and roll tightly. Arrange seam-down in a buttered baking dish. Repeat until all crespelle are filled and packed closely in the dish.
6. 6
   Pour the béchamel evenly over the crespelle so they are fully covered. Scatter the Parmigiano over the top. Bake at 180 °C for 25 minutes. The dish is ready when the surface is golden, the béchamel is set and no longer moves when the dish is gently shaken, and the edges show a light caramelised crust.