Cooking Italy: Crespelles with Prosciutto, Fresh Tomato and Mozzarella

 Did you know that a crespelle is a crepe and originated in Italy, not in France. However, credit goes to France for running with them, and street corner “crepe stands” are common on the streets of Paris, while gelato shops are common in Rome. I can live with this.

If you like the idea of cheesy pasta, let me convince you that cheesy crepes are even better. These are “giddy” good. They deliver an Italian “just right” balance of flavors and in this case dreamy textures. Eight layers of crepes (that tastes like a light pasta) grab flavor from the prosciutto, creaminess from the mozzarella cheese, tang from the parmiggiano reggiano and sweetness from the tomato.

But, I need to set the scene for my husband’s comments: We have been up since 3:00 a.m., working at the Franklin Classic a 4-event race for Mercy Children’s Clinic. For the past several months I have worked behind the scenes coordinating/finding 250 volunteers to make this Labor Day event take place. It’s over now, and we should have just enough energy to eat crackers and cheese. But every few hours, I would traipse into the kitchen and fuss for 15 minutes, then go back and watch a movie. By 6:00 p.m. that little bit of fussing turned out this incredible Marcella Hazan selection of layered crespelles.

“Something is off. This just doesn’t seem RIGHT? We just came downstairs looking like we’re ready to sit and casually eat a bowl of cereal. But instead we’re eating this incredible stack of crepes layered with prosciutto, fresh tomato sauce, mozzarella. It doesn’t seem fair to eat like this every night, especially tonight, as if it’s nothing. This food should be eaten when there is something to celebrate.”

He went on and on as I sat there eating away, trying to figure out why we don’t get this in restaurants. Why is no one serving a stack of crepes in this Italian style? He’s wondering why we are eating this well at a messy table with no company. He didn’t know how easy it was to make, and that the SECRET of good Italian food is the right handful ingredients and the right recipe. Marcella Hazan delivers once again with perfection.
Impress your guests and make this the first course of a dinner party, giving everyone just a tiny wedge. Their palate will be stunned!

Or make it for your special other after you have them work no less than five different jobs following your adventures in volunteer work. They’ll forget the hard work and say yes again.

This is truly a meal a woman will love and a man will marry her for (or vice a versa).

Romaine lettuce, honey do, and crisped prosciutto make an incredible accompaniment.

The Process
There should be no less than 8 crepes (except here where there is 7 as number 8 was left on the stove to burn). There is no more than 1 tablespoon of tomato sauce between each layer. I bravely ventured away from Marcella’s suggestion of canned tomatoes to use my own garden San Marzanos. Sadly, I did not have buffalo mozzarella, but I freshly grated the best parmiggiano reggiano and soaked my ordinary mozzarella in olive oil.

The recipe calls for shaved prosciutto, but I just had it sliced super thin and was gingerly in my application.

This is an easy dish to make if you know how to make crepes, and buy good ingredients.

While the crepes were baking (15 minutes) I threw some prosciutto in a cast iron pan in oven, crisped it up and served it on romaine lettuce with melon balls and just a touch of olive oil and lemon (recipe coming).