There are historical rumors that Caterina de' Medici introduced Crespelle to the French, and that's how they came up with Crepes. Whether or not this is true, this Northern Italian favorite has been around a very long time. It is used for both savory and sweet dishes, and probably the most widely known is for Cannelloni. Layered tortes, such as this recipe, are often sold by the slice in Northern Italian Trattorias.
Line the bottom of a 9" springform (removable bottom pan) with parchment paper, and lightly butter the sides.
The spinach should be cooked,chopped, and squeezed dry. Take 1/2 cup of the Besciamella sauce , a few gratings of nutmeg, salt and pepper to your taste and mix with the spinach until blended. Mixture should be "spreadable", if not, add just s bit more of the Besciamella.
Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a saute pan, add the mushrooms, and allow them to cook until they are lightly browned and the liquid has been reabsorbed. Stir in the Dry Marsala wine, and cook until reduced by half. Add the parsley, and a grating of nutmeg, sprinkle of salt and pepper. Scoop into a mixing bowl and stir in 1/2 cup of the Besciamella sauce. Again, mixture should be "spreadable", and if not, add a bit more of the sauce.
When both the spinach and mushroom mixtures have cooled, you can start building your torte.
Place on of the crespella (the largest one you have) on the bottom of your pan. Spread about 1/4 cup of the spinach mixture over the crespella, leaving about 1/2 around the edges clear. Sprinkle with some of the grated parmesan. Place another of the crespella on top of that, and spread with an equal amount of the mushroom mixture. Top the mushroom with one quarter of the chopped prosciutto and a sprinkle of parmesan. Continue layering, alternating between the spinach filling and the mushroom filling until you have used all of the crespelle, or have come to the top of your pan.
On the top crespella, spread a thin layer of the Besciamella evenly over the top and sprinkle liberally with the parmesan. Melt the remaining two tablespoons of butter and drizzle over the top of the besciamella and cheese.
Place the pan on a cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the cheese has melted. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack for about 10 minutes. Now take a small knife and run it around to loosen any pieces that might have stuck to the rim of the pan. Remove the rim and allow to cool another 10 minutes.
Depending on your confidence level, you can transfer the torte to a serving plate, leaving the metal bottom on, or using a wide spatula, remove the torte from its metal bottom and place on a serving plate.
Cut the torte into wedges and serve with a tossed green salad. Great for a lunch or light dinner. The crespelle and fillings can be made a day ahead, but if all of the ingredients are cold, it will take about 40 minutes to bake.
NOTE* You can also use different fillings, like seasoned ground meats, saute vegetables like zucchini or eggplant.
Ingredients
Directions
Line the bottom of a 9" springform (removable bottom pan) with parchment paper, and lightly butter the sides.
The spinach should be cooked,chopped, and squeezed dry. Take 1/2 cup of the Besciamella sauce , a few gratings of nutmeg, salt and pepper to your taste and mix with the spinach until blended. Mixture should be "spreadable", if not, add just s bit more of the Besciamella.
Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a saute pan, add the mushrooms, and allow them to cook until they are lightly browned and the liquid has been reabsorbed. Stir in the Dry Marsala wine, and cook until reduced by half. Add the parsley, and a grating of nutmeg, sprinkle of salt and pepper. Scoop into a mixing bowl and stir in 1/2 cup of the Besciamella sauce. Again, mixture should be "spreadable", and if not, add a bit more of the sauce.
When both the spinach and mushroom mixtures have cooled, you can start building your torte.
Place on of the crespella (the largest one you have) on the bottom of your pan. Spread about 1/4 cup of the spinach mixture over the crespella, leaving about 1/2 around the edges clear. Sprinkle with some of the grated parmesan. Place another of the crespella on top of that, and spread with an equal amount of the mushroom mixture. Top the mushroom with one quarter of the chopped prosciutto and a sprinkle of parmesan. Continue layering, alternating between the spinach filling and the mushroom filling until you have used all of the crespelle, or have come to the top of your pan.
On the top crespella, spread a thin layer of the Besciamella evenly over the top and sprinkle liberally with the parmesan. Melt the remaining two tablespoons of butter and drizzle over the top of the besciamella and cheese.
Place the pan on a cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the cheese has melted. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack for about 10 minutes. Now take a small knife and run it around to loosen any pieces that might have stuck to the rim of the pan. Remove the rim and allow to cool another 10 minutes.
Depending on your confidence level, you can transfer the torte to a serving plate, leaving the metal bottom on, or using a wide spatula, remove the torte from its metal bottom and place on a serving plate.
Cut the torte into wedges and serve with a tossed green salad. Great for a lunch or light dinner. The crespelle and fillings can be made a day ahead, but if all of the ingredients are cold, it will take about 40 minutes to bake.
NOTE* You can also use different fillings, like seasoned ground meats, saute vegetables like zucchini or eggplant.