Chickpea Crespelle with Ricotta, Spinach & Marinara sauce
In retrospect, this wasn’t a weeknight meal. This wasn’t a 30-minutes to the table smash. but it was a big hit! So perfect for a Monday night when you have a bit of extra time. The main sell here is that it feels like a decadent pasta dish, but in reality it’s made from chickpea flour, and packed with spinach, so nothing to be ashamed of!!
Chickpea Crespelle with Ricotta, Spinach & Marinara sauce
2018-06-18 14:30:37
Serves 4
Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
40 min
Ingredients
- For the crespelle: (MAKES APPROX 6)
- • 160 g / 1 cup chickpea flour (aka gram flour)
- • 240 ml / 1 cup water
- • A pinch of salt and pepper
- • 1 spoonful herbes de provence
For the filling
- • 1 package 400 grams frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed through a cheese cloth to get out excess water
- • 250g ricotta cheese
- • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- • 1 large egg
- • 1 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese
- • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
For the sauce
- • 3 tablespoons olive oil
- • 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- • 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- • 1 can diced or whole tomatoes
- • 1 small box (500g) tomato passata
- • 1 teaspoon dried thyme or oregano
- • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
- • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- • 1/4 cup fresh herbs like parsley or basil
Instructions
- Make the crespelle batter: In a medium bowl, mix together the ingredients, and leave to sit for 20 minutes.
- In the meantime, get the sauce on the stove: chop the onion and the garlic, sautee with olive oil for 5 minutes, sprinkle in the herbs and then the tomato passata and diced tomatoes. Let it bubble away on a low heat while you keep working.
- Prepare the filling next: Combine all filling ingredients in a large bowl and stir well. Getting all of the water out of the spinach is critical to be sure your crespelle aren’t soggy.
- Once that’s done, head back to your crespelle batter. Put a small frying pan over medium high heat, and pour a small amount of oil in the pan. You’ll want to run over it with a paper towel to remove excess oil- you really want a thin film. Pour a small amount of batter into the pan and let it cook. After a few minutes, start to pull it away from the sides of the pan- when it starts to come loose you’ll be ready to flip. I flip carefully with my fingers. It’s easier than with a spatula!
- Keep making all of the crepes, until your batter is done.
- Fill each crepe with the filling, and roll up into the pan. Cover with tomato sauce, add a bit of grated cheese on top, and pop it into a 180c oven for about 30 minutes.
- Remove, and enjoy!
Victoria's Kitchen http://kitchenbyvictoria.com/
