Crepes and Crespelle

• Crepes are usually thought of as a French preparation, but they're almost universal. In Italy, they're referred to as crespelle, and they're an authentic alternative to fresh pasta for cannelloni-making. They make the finished dish lighter, and they can be a practical option when you're pressed for time or making a small batch. It only takes a few minutes to make crepes for two to four portions of cannelloni, as opposed to an hour or so -- counting the dough's rest time -- to make and roll a batch of fresh pasta, which makes much more than you need for one meal.

Making Up Your Crespelle

• There are two basic types of crepe recipe. Brittany-style recipes make a thick batter, often containing buckwheat, that must be spread thinly with a special tool. Most others are a sort of thin pancake batter, and that's the kind to use for cannelloni. If you already have a reliable recipe, use that. Otherwise, pick one from a reliable source -- compare two or three, to get a feel for the correct proportions of flour, milk and eggs -- and make them up one at a time in a 7-inch crepe pan or small skillet. Ladle in about 1/4 cup of batter at a time, swirling the skillet to make a thin, even layer, then cook for about 30 seconds per side.

Assembling Your Cannelloni

• Let the crepes cool on a clean towel while you make up your filling and sauces. You can use a meat-based filling if you wish, but crepes make a lighter and more delicate cannelloni so they're generally used with ricotta-based or seafood-based fillings. Divide your filling among the crepes, making a cylindrical mound of filling down the middle of each. Roll them around the filling, then transfer the crepes to individual baking dishes or a larger casserole dish. Cover them with your choice of white or red sauce, and bake until the dish is bubbling and hot throughout. Many traditional recipes call for both tomato sauce and white sauce, for an especially flavorful result.

How It's Different

• Crepes lack the sturdy, chewy texture of fresh pasta, so cannelloni made with crespelle won't seem as hearty as the traditional kind. That's not necessarily a bad thing, because the lighter cannelloni work well as a lunch dish or as a less-filling element in a larger, multiple-course meal. Cut into halves or thirds, they work well as an appetizer. Crepes are also an excellent choice for gluten-free cannelloni. Gluten-free pasta is difficult to make well at home, but good crepes can be made with many kinds of non-wheat flour. Instead of the wheat gluten, their high egg content provides the necessary chewiness and moisture resistance.