Recipe: Crepes Cannelloni with Ricotta and Smoked Ham

Crepes Cannelloni with Ricotta and Smoked Ham
Source: This is from Leo Buscaglia's Love Cookbook by Leo Buscaglia, with Biba Caggiano

Crepes:
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Filling:
1/2 lb. ricotta cheese
1/4 lb. thinly sliced smoked ham, finely diced
3/4 c. freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 tsp. grated nutmeg
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
Salt
2 to 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

Tomato-Cream Sauce:
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 cups canned plum tomatoes with juice
2 to 3 Tbsp. heavy cream
Salt

Put the tomatoes through a food mill to remove the seeds; set tomatoes aside.

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

Heat an 8-inch crepe pan or nonstick skillet on medium-high heat; 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 so they are done and cool completely. (Place a small sheet of waxed paper between each crepe if they stick together.)

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

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

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

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

Place 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. Swirl the sauce around to cover the bottom. Place cannelloni in the center of each dish and serve at once.

Note: You can prepare everything through the sauce several hours or one day ahead. Refrigerate. Reheat sauce gently at time of serving. Do not preheat oven until ready to bake.