All sorts of food seem to have some type of Italian origin and French Crepes are no exception.The Italian word for crepes is crespelle (and who’s to say if the crespelle or the crepe came first). But Caterina De Medici was responsible for bringing Italian cooking to France and bringing high cuisine to France .So maybe the crespelle came first. And crespelle are a traditional food in the region of Abruzzo, Italy.

Crespelle alle Zucchine (Crepes with Zucchini)

Ingredients

2 zucchini grated

¼ cup hard ricotta cheese grated (known as ricotta romana)

2 eggs

1/3 cup Swiss or Fontina cheese grated

2 tablespoons Parmigiana cheese grated

1 tablespoon butter

salt and pepper to taste

For the bechamel sauce:
1 cup milk

2 tablespoons  flour

2 tbsps butter

For the crespelle:

2eggs

1/3 cup flour

1 cup milk

pinch of salt

Ingredients

Blend all ingredients in bowl with wire whisk. Heat non-stick crepe pan. Place approx ¼ cup of batter in crepe pan (place batter in center of pan and move pan so that batter rotates around and covers pan). turn over and cook on other side. Batter makes about 6 crespelle.

Wash and clean zucchini. Dry and grate using a grater with large holes. Place in bowl and set aside.

In saucepan, place milk for  bechamel. Place on low heat and whisk in, a little at a time, flour and butter so that mixture remains smooth.When boiling and thickened remove from heat.

Cool for 5 minutes and place into bechamel the grated zucchini, half of grated Parmigiana  cheese, 2 eggs, ricotta romana, grated Swiss or Fontina cheese. Mix and add in pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Cut sides of crespelle  so that each crespelle  forms a  rectangular shape. Place in the zucchini filling and roll the crespelle up. Wrap in aluminum foil and continue till all crespelle are  filled. Place crespelle wrapped in aluminum foil seperately in buttered casserole dish and heat in oven preheated to 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Remove from oven, eliminate aluminum foil and placea small knob of butter on crespelle and remaining grated parmigiana reggiano cheese, place under broiler until brown on top(about 5 minutes) and serve hot.