Necci with ricotta, a Tuscan recipe, similar to thick sweet crepes made with chestnut flour and water then filled with fresh ricotta. Tuscan necci are particularly widespread in the areas of Garfagnana, Pistoia, and Lucchesia and are cooked in ‘testi’, which are special tools made of two metal discs with a long handle that are not difficult to find in typical areas of neccio, but to make the recipe easily replicable by everyone, you can alternatively use a non-stick pan.
So we said that the batter is made of chestnut flour and water, the usual ingredients also used for preparing chestnut fritters but for making necci nothing is fried, you just grease the pan with some oil, pour the batter, and flip it like a pancake.
Once ready, fill the necci with fresh ricotta (preferably sheep’s milk), then roll them up like a cannoli and enjoy hot.
In autumn, there are many chestnut festivals in my area, and I see and taste many necci, of course, during village festivals, only ‘testi’ are used for cooking, with today’s recipe I wanted to share this tradition of my region with you and even if the discs won’t be perfect with the pan, I assure you the taste is guaranteed.
TRY ALSO:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 6 necci
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
- Energy 166.58 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 19.82 (g) of which sugars 8.90 (g)
- Proteins 4.85 (g)
- Fat 7.38 (g) of which saturated 3.19 (g)of which unsaturated 3.22 (g)
- Fibers 3.29 (g)
- Sodium 172.91 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 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
- 200 chestnut flour
- 1 ¼ cups water
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 pinch salt
- to taste olive oil (for greasing the pan)
- 1 ½ cups sheep's milk ricotta (fresh)
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar (or powdered sugar)
Tools
To make the original necci recipe, you would need the testi, but we can try to make them at home with a simple non-stick pan with a diameter of 6-7 inches.
- Pan
- Bowl
Recipe
In a bowl, place the flour in a mound, put one tablespoon of oil and a pinch of salt in the center, stir while gradually adding lukewarm water until you get a fluid mixture similar to crepe batter. If you notice the mixture is too thick, add more water.
Take a very adherent small pan, grease it well with olive oil (or butter), heat it well, and pour a ladleful of batter, then rotate the pan to distribute the mixture evenly. Cook over high heat for a couple of minutes, turn and cook on the other side (they should be turned when the edge turns brown). Continue like this until you finish the batter.
Note: be very careful when turning the necci, as they tend to break; I recommend turning them with a fairly large spatula.Drain the ricotta well, sweeten it with sugar (optional), mix, and spread the obtained cream on the neccio, roll it up like a cannoli, and serve immediately.
Tuscan necci filled with ricotta are a Tuscan traditional specialty. In autumn, they are easily found at all chestnut festivals in the area, usually prepared with the specific tool (the ‘testi’), but you can still experience the taste by following my recipe.
They are eaten hot, freshly made.
Storage and Tips
Storage: Necci with ricotta are best consumed hot and fresh, but they can be stored in the fridge for a maximum of 1 day.
Tips: If you use new, high-quality flour that is already sweet, you don’t need to add sugar to the batter.
The amount of ricotta is indicative; it can vary depending on how much you use for the filling.
You can fill the necci with hazelnut cream; they are delicious even if the original recipe includes ricotta.
For cooking with ‘testi’: If you are fortunate enough to have the ‘testi’ to cook necci, you must heat them first, then grease them well on both sides using half a potato skewered with a fork and dipped in oil, then pour half a ladle of batter on one iron, close and press well with the other ‘testo’. They are cooked by turning the ‘testi’ over the fire for a few minutes, then once cooked, the neccio is filled with ricotta.
