Crepes Cannelloni with Ricotta and Smoked Ham

Summary
Prep time	45+ min
Cook time	20-30 min
Source	Leo Buscaglia's Love Cookbook with Biba Caggiano
Yield / serves	2 servings
Rating	Yummy!

This recipe is a fair amount of work (mostly making the crepes), but is so very, very good.

Ingredients

Crepes

• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 c milk
• 1/2 c all-purpose flour
• 4 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Filling

• 1/2 lb ricotta
• 1/4 lb thinly sliced smoked ham, finely diced
• 3/4 c freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/4 t grated nutmeg
• 2 T chopped fresh parsley
• 2-3 T unsalted butter, melted
• salt

Tomato-Cream Sauce

• 1 T unsalted butter
• 2 c canned plum tomatoes with their juice, put through a food mill to remove the seeds
• 2-3 T heavy cream
• salt

Preparation

Put the eggs, milk, flour, and 1 tablespoon of the melted butter in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Transfer batter to a bowl and let it rest for about one hour. (Batter can also be assembled in a bowl and whisked until smooth.)

Heat an 8-inch crepe pan or nonstick skillet on medium heat and, optionally, brush with some of the melted butter. When butter begins to smoke, pour just enough batter in the pan to cover the bottom lightly. Tilt and rotate the pan immediately to spread the batter evenly. After 30-40 seconds, when the top of the crepe begins to solidify and small bubbles appear on the surface, check the bottom of the crepe, which should be lightly golden. Turn the crepe over with a spatula and cook 15-20 seconds longer. Place the crepe on a flat dish and proceed to cook the other crepes. Stack them as they are done and cool completely. (Place a small sheet of wax paper between each crepe if they stick together.)

In a small bowl thoroughly combine ricotta, ham, 1/3 cup of the Parmigiano, egg, nutmeg, and parsely, and season with salt.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter a baking dish large enough to fit cannelloni in one layer.

Lay the crepes on a work surface and place 1-2 heaping tablespoons of the filling horizontally in the center of each crepe. Fold crepes over filling to make cannelloni. Place them in the buttered baking dish, brush lightly with melted butter, and sprinkle generously with the remaining Parmigiano.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the tomatoes and cook 5-6 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the cream and season with salt. Let the sauce bubble a few more minutes, then reduce the heat to very low. Keep the sauce warm while you bake the cannelloni.

Put the baking dish on the middle level of the oven, and bake until the cheese is melted and has a light golden color, 6-8 minutes.

Spoon some sauce in the center of two flat serving dishes and swirl the sauce around to cover the bottom. Place cannelloni in the center of each dish and serve at once.

Note: Everything up to putting the cannelloni in the oven can be done up to one day ahead. Reheat the sauce very gently while the cannelloni are baking.