Crespelle - savoury crepes with peas, ham and fontina cheese
These Crespelle (savoury crepes) are stuffed with ricotta, peas and ham and baked with a delicious Fontina cheese sauce!
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time45 minutes mins
Total Time55 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 748kcal
For the crespelle
- ~1 ¼ cups (150g) plain flour
- 2 eggs
- ~15 fl oz (450ml) milk
- ~4 tbsp (50g) butter melted
- Pinch salt
For the filling
- ~2 cups (500g) ricotta
- ~5.9 oz (170g) peas frozen
- ~3.5 oz (100g) ham cubed
- 1 egg
- 1 large handful basil chopped
- 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper
For the sauce
- ~4 tbsp (50g) butter
- ~ ½ cup (50g) plain flour
- ~2 cups (500ml) milk
- ~4.2 oz (120g) Fontina cheese
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- Salt and pepper
To make the crespelle batter
To make the filling
Boil the frozen peas in boiling water for a couple minutes then run under cold water to stop them cooking any further.
Add the ricotta and egg to a bowl and mix together. Add the cubed ham, peas, basil, parmesan and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix to combine.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350F/gas mark 4. Lightly grease a large frying pan with a small knob of butter and place under a medium/low heat. Add a ladle of crespelle batter to the pan and swirl to form a crespella. When the top of the crespella starts to look dry, flip it over and fry the other side for a few seconds. Continue with the rest of the batter (you should have 8 crespelle).
To make the sauce
Melt the butter in a saucepan then add the flour. Stir to a thick paste and cook for 1 minute. Slowly add one-third of the milk whisking constantly. When it starts to thicken add another third of milk and repeat until you’ve used all the milk. Add the fontina cheese keeping around 1 tablespoon for the topping and stir until melted.
Lay a crespella out on a clean surface and cover one half with some of the filling (around 2 tbsp). Fold the crespella in half and then in half again (you can also roll them length ways if you prefer). Add it to a baking dish and repeat with the rest of the crespelle. Cover with the cheese sauce and top with the remaining tablespoon of fontina cheese then bake for 20-25 minutes. Serve.
Calories: 748kcal