How I like rolled food: it is easy to handle and concentrates textures and flavors within itself. It strikes me that spring rolls, burritos or dolmas have been well known here for years, but not the rótolo, which is closer to the aforementioned delicacies.
As always, it can be done in several ways; In this case we opt for the extended version in which we prepare everything: from the crêpes, to the filling and even the sauce. The original dish can also be made with bechamel, but here we opt for the tomato base to make it lighter and more colourful. The recipe, with a filling of ricotta and spinach, represents the idea of party food very well because it is easy to share and, last but not least, it is tasty, soft and above all vegetarian.
I recognize that it is not a simple dish, but sometimes you have to invest a little time to have a special result and feel proud. I know I’m not making this up, but I call this boomerang cooking: you put in the work for a while and the reward comes back in batches. For example, you can make double the pancakes and save some for breakfast the next day.
Difficulty: Test your patience by rolling and cutting the crepes
Ingredients
For 4 people
- 250 ml of milk
- 2 eggs
- 100 g of flour
- 50 g of butter
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Salt
For the spinach and ricotta filling
- 250 g of spinach
- 250 ricotta
- 1 clove of garlic
- 50 ml of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Salt and black pepper
For the tomato sauce
- ½ kg of ripe tomatoes (can be an excellent preserve)
- 1 onion
- 1 clove of garlic
- Salt
- Sugar
Instructions
To prepare the crêpes, pour the milk, eggs, salt and nutmeg into a bowl and beat. Add the flour and mix until the mixture is well integrated and without lumps.
Leave to rest for 20 minutes.
After this time, melt the butter in a non-stick pan.
Pour a ladle of the rested mixture into the center of the pan. Distribute the mixture evenly on the bottom and cook for a few minutes, until the edges of the crepe begin to come away.
Turn and cook the other side. Repeat this process until all the dough is used.
To prepare the filling, heat the oil in a pan together with a whole clove of garlic. Add the spinach and sauté over a high heat until the water comes out.
Season with salt and black pepper, turn off the heat and leave to cool.
Blend the spinach, ricotta and nutmeg with a blender until you obtain a smooth and uniform mixture. Complete with salt and black pepper to taste.
To prepare the tomato sauce, chop the tomatoes, onion and garlic.
Heat the olive oil in a pan and fry the onion and garlic until transparent.
Add the cherry tomatoes cut into pieces and season with salt and a pinch of sugar. Cook over low heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
First, arrange a row of three crepes on a sheet of cling film, side by side, overlapping them slightly at the edges.
Repeat the operation with a second row of the other three crepes, placing them under the previous three and overlapping them so that there are no empty spaces in the center. They must form a rectangular base approximately 50 cm wide and 55 cm long.
Distribute the filling over the entire surface of the crêpes, leaving a few centimeters free on the edges to seal the roll.
Fold all edges slightly inward. Roll up, starting from the long bottom edge towards the opposite top edge.
Seal the roll well and remove the film. Cut it into thick slices, about four centimeters long. First arrange the tomato sauce on a baking tray and then place the crepe slices on top, with the edge of the filling facing upwards.
Bake for 25 minutes at 200 degrees until the edges of the slices are golden. Remove from the oven and add the arugula.
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