Florentine pancakes

Crespelle alla fiorentina are Italian pancakes topped with ricotta and spinach, all baked in the oven with béchamel sauce and cheese. Here's how to prepare this delicious recipe:

Ingredients for crespelle:
1 cup of flour
1 1/2 cups of milk
2 eggs
A pinch of salt
Butter for cooking
Ingredients for the filling:
300g fresh spinach, washed and chopped
250g ricotta
1/2 cup grated parmesan
Salt and pepper, to taste
A pinch of grated nutmeg
Ingredients for the béchamel sauce:
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of flour
2 cups of milk
Salt, pepper and nutmeg, to taste

Instructions :

Preparing the pancake batter:
In a blender, mix the flour, milk, eggs and a pinch of salt until you obtain a smooth dough.
Let the dough sit for about 30 minutes.

Cooking crespelle:
In a non-stick pan, melt a little butter.
Pour a small amount of batter into the pan, swirling it to coat the bottom.
Cook each side of the crepe until golden brown. Repeat until the dough is used up.

Preparing the filling:
Cook the spinach in a pan with a little olive oil until tender. Squeeze out excess water.
In a bowl, mix the cooked spinach, ricotta, parmesan, salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg.
Preparation of the béchamel sauce:
In a saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour and stir for a few minutes.
Gradually add the milk while continuing to stir until the sauce thickens. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Assembling and cooking crespelle:
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Stuff each pancake with filling and roll them up.
Place them in a lightly buttered baking dish and top with béchamel sauce.
Sprinkle with parmesan and bake for about 20-25 minutes, until the top is browned

Serve the crespelle alla fiorentina hot, accompanied by a light green salad if you wish. Buon appetito!