I love all egg dishes, don’t you?
If I am in a hurry, I choose eggs as the main ingredient for a quick and tasty recipe.
In addition, in the blink of an eye, they become crespelle and frittata to which you can add or mix other ingredients to make exquisitely simple dishes.
And seasonal, like cheese crespelle with peas, broad beans, and asparagus heads salad.
Omelet and frittata, crêpe and crespella in the Italian and French cuisines.
You can easily confuse these recipes since the preparations are similar.
They are all egg recipes, and there are sweet and savory variations.
Omelet and crêpe are of French origin, frittata and crespella are Italian.
Crespella is the Italian version of crêpe. Frittata resembles an omelet in the preparation but not in the cooking.
Below I leave you with a couple of pantry curiosities. Then I’ll be waiting for you with a recipe that’s as simple as it is good, string cheese crespelle.
Omelette and frittata.
The omelet and frittata are prepared by beating the eggs with a pinch of salt.
I always add a little milk to make them more creamy.
The omelet is creamier than the frittata.
For this reason, cook it on one side only (otherwise, it’s a frittata!) and strictly in butter, a thing I love.
Crêpes and Crespelle.
For making crêpe and crespella, you need eggs, milk, and FLOUR.
The dough is neutral, neither sweet nor savory. No sugar is added to the batter, just a pinch of salt.
Usually, the crêpe is served rolled on itself or closed in a portfolio and stuffed as you want. For crespella is the same.
Crespelle lasagna is, along with the traditional green lasagna of Bologna (find the recipe HERE), among my favorite dishes.
There is no difference between crepes and crespelle.
Cheese crespelle.
Melted cheese makes me very happy.
Matched with the flavor of the eggs, it’s an irresistible combination. At the first bite, I can taste a flavor that sends me back to the warmth of a hug.
This recipe makes me think about how easy it is to eat well and follow the season, just organizing the weekly menu. How cheap and easy it is to eat and take care of ourselves. How it’s an excuse to say, I don’t have time to do it.
Do you know how long it takes to cook a couple of crepes and serve them with a side dish?
Maybe about 30 minutes.
In the meantime, you can open the wine, pour a glass, and munch on a cracker.
You start from the preparation to enjoy YOUR time, thinking about the day or chatting with those around you.
You can also organize the work.
Cook the vegetables the evening before. Make the batter and store it in the fridge (you can make it the day before and then mix with a fork before making the crespelle).
I added a salad of asparagus heads, fava beans, and peas.
Don’t have time to shell the legumes? You can buy them already cleaned from your grocery store or frozen (frozen fruits and vegetables are better than out of season).
One dish for two people. But if you use a small pan, 12-14cm in diameter, you will get 4 crepes that you can serve as an appetizer or aperitif. The recipe is also suitable for brunch.
Buona cucina, Monica
Cook with me.
Folks! If you love eggs like me, maybe you’d like to try this one-dish recipe: Poached Egg and Baked Asparagus With Bacon.
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Cheese crespelle recipe
serves 2
List of Ingredients
100 g flour 00 (or other gluten-free flour)
2 eggs
250 ml whole milk
100 g of melting cheese
80g fava beans
70g peas
6 asparagus heads
fresh basil,
olive oil, butter and salt, to taste
Method
Boil broad beans, peas and asparagus heads. Drain, cool and season with olive oil, salt and basil.
In a bowl beat the eggs with milk and a pinch of salt, add the flour using a sieve so that no lumps form.
Cook the crespelle one at a time in a non-stick pan already hot and buttered.
The secret is to spread the batter evenly and quickly on the bottom.
Stuff them with cheese cut into small pieces.
Close the crespelle in a shell and place them on a baking tray in the preheated oven (170°C degrees) for a few minutes. Just the time to melt the cheese.
Serve the cheese crespelle warm accompanied by a side.