CREPES WITH ZUCCHINI AND RICOTTA
Today we’ll prepare together the CREPES with ZUCCHINI and RICOTTA, an easy and quick vegetarian first course perfect to serve for a family or friends’ lunch or dinner on a special occasion.
A version of Savory Crepes with Vegetables for true gourmets, tasty yet light at the same time, the crepes with Ricotta and Zucchini are a true delight, perfect even to prepare in advance, kept in the refrigerator and heated and browned on the surface in the oven when serving.
The crepes are also prepared without butter (you will only need it to grease the pan in which you will cook them) so they are lighter, and the batter can be prepared well in advance, even the day before, so you have no excuses not to prepare this delicious recipe!
The basic recipe for crepes is very easy, and the filling of Zucchini and Ricotta flavored with a few basil leaves is really inviting. You can obviously replace the ricotta with mozzarella and put them to brown in the oven for a stringy filling.
A recipe for Crepes Zucchini and Cheese that will amaze all your guests, and I’m almost certain it will also be liked by the little ones who, for once, will eat the vegetables. And for those who are intolerant, I also leave you the recipe for EGGLESS CREPES
If you’re looking for recipes with Crepes (crespelle), try these
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 532.34 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 32.35 (g) of which sugars 3.81 (g)
- Proteins 27.34 (g)
- Fat 34.22 (g) of which saturated 15.63 (g)of which unsaturated 7.75 (g)
- Fibers 1.56 (g)
- Sodium 623.81 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 300 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk (warm)
- 1 egg (whole)
- salt (1 pinch)
- butter (to grease the pan)
- 2 cups zucchini
- 14 oz ricotta
- 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- A few leaves basil (optional)
- 1 clove garlic
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
Tools
- Crepe Pan
- Bowl
Steps
Place the whole egg in a bowl and beat it with a fork. Add the sifted flour while continuing to beat, and a pinch of salt. Finally, add the milk slowly while stirring to avoid clumps. Let the batter rest for about ten minutes at room temperature before using it.
Take a non-stick pan and slightly grease it with butter. When it is hot (but not too hot, or they will burn), pour a scoop of crepe batter into the center and quickly swirl the pan to distribute it evenly over the entire surface. Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes until the edges start to lift. Flip it and cook on the other side for about 2 minutes. Continue in the same way until all the batter is used.
Wash the zucchini, remove the ends, then cut them into sticks (first in half lengthwise, then into sticks). Place 3 tablespoons of oil in a pan and heat it, add a clove of garlic and let it flavor. Remove the garlic and cook the zucchini over high heat for about 5 minutes. Season with salt, lower the heat, and continue to cook for about 10 minutes.
Pour the ricotta into a bowl along with the grated Parmesan and mix with a spoon. Cut a few basil leaves into small pieces with a knife. Add it to the ricotta with Parmesan and mix. Compose the crepes by putting a little cheese filling on half of each crepe and adding a few tablespoons of zucchini on top. (How much to stuff your crepes is up to you; I like them chubby with lots of filling). Once filled, close the Zucchini and Ricotta Crepes first in half, then again in half to create triangles. Serve at room temperature or heat for a few seconds in the oven or in a pan.
NOTES
RICOTTA: instead of ricotta, you can use spreadable cheese or, for a stringy version, mozzarella cubes. In this case, I recommend heating it in the oven for a few minutes before eating to make the cheese stringy.
VEGETABLES: Using the same recipe for Crepes with Zucchini and Ricotta, you can replace the zucchini with other vegetables like spinach, chard, or mushrooms.
BASIL: perhaps because I am Genoese and would put basil everywhere, in any case, I think that a few small pieces of basil added to the ricotta and Parmesan filling gives a boost to the Zucchini and Ricotta Crepes, but you can safely omit it or replace it with other herbs.
VARIATIONS: If you want to make the Ricotta and Zucchini Crepes a single dish or simply want them even more delicious, you can add slices of Cooked Ham on top of the crepe after spreading the cheese mixture and zucchini.
STORAGE
The zucchini and ricotta crepes can be prepared in advance. The crepe bases, if not filled, can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Once filled with Ricotta and Zucchini, the crepes can be kept in the fridge until the next day. I recommend heating them in the oven or microwave for a few minutes before eating again.
