Florence, Tuscany
Florentine crêpes: thin pasta-like crêpes (made with flour, egg, and milk — thicker than French crêpes) filled with a mixture of spinach, ricotta, and Parmigiano, rolled tightly, arranged in a baking dish, covered with béchamel and Parmigiano, and baked until golden. The Florentine preparation distinguishes itself from the French crêpe tradition by the pasta-like thickness of the crespella and by the abundance of filling relative to the wrapper. A cornerstone of the Florentine prima piatto, especially in cooking schools and family Sunday lunches.
Delicate egg crêpes wrapped around spinach-ricotta filling, baked under béchamel until golden — the Florentine first course that taught France what 'à la Florentine' means
{"Crespella batter: flour, egg, milk, butter, salt — rested 30 min; consistency of single cream","Cook in a small buttered pan over medium heat; 1 minute per side; should be pale, slightly spotty","Filling: spinach blanched and squeezed very dry, ricotta, egg, Parmigiano, nutmeg — combine and season well","Fill, roll, and arrange seam-down in a buttered dish; cover with béchamel and Parmigiano","Bake at 180°C for 25 min until the top is golden and the béchamel is set"}
{"A pinch of nutmeg in both the filling and the béchamel creates a consistent aromatic thread","The crespelle can be assembled 24 hours ahead and refrigerated before baking — they improve with rest","A few drops of truffle oil in the béchamel is the restaurant upgrade"}
{"Thin French-style crêpes — the Florentine crespella must have more body to hold the filling and baking","Wet spinach in the filling — the moisture makes the filling runny and the crespelle soggy","Béchamel too thin — it runs off the top and doesn't form the characteristic golden crust"}
La Cucina Toscana — Giuliana Bonomo