Baked Scrolls / Parchment [Pergamene], with Spinach and Ricotta. This is my take on a hearty Italian dish of Rotolo [Rolls with Spinach and Ricotta], given that they more resemble scrolls than rolls I have taken some liberty with both the name and the recipe itself. The rotolo are not bread based but in essence a very large sheet of lasagne filled, rolled and sliced into equal sized pieces.
Pergamene al Forno con Spinaci e Ricotta
Ingredients
Pergamene
Filling
Tomato sauce
Instructions
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For the sauce: Heat the oil in a 10" heavy bottomed skillet over a medium high heat.
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Add the garlic and sauté for 10 seconds then add the onion. Cook the onion until it becomes translucent and begins to turn golden, then add the passata, water, chilli flakes, salt and pepper.
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Simmer for 5 minutes on medium low, then stir through the basil. The sauce should be quite thin as the lasagne sheets will absorb some water while in the oven so the sauce thickens a lot during cooking.Keep the sauce deliberately loose as written. Reducing it too far now can leave the pasta dry or insufficiently hydrated during baking.
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Scoop out 1 cup of the Tomato Sauce which will be used to drizzle over the dish at the end. Keep the remainder of the sauce warm.
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Filling and Assembling: Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the filling ingredients in a bowl and combine well with a wooden spoon.The filling contains raw egg. Wash hands and utensils after mixing it and avoid tasting the filling until the assembled dish has been fully baked.
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LAy a lasagne sheet down, shorter side nearest you, add 1/3 cup packed firmly of the filling onto the lasagne sheet. Dab some water on the end furthest away from you (to seal the roll), then roll up starting from the end closest to you. Finish with the seal underneath. Cut the rolls into 3 (so each piece is 1.5" to 2" wide. Place the rolls into the tomato sauce with the filling facing up.Keep the portions reasonably even so the rolls cook at the same rate, and place them snugly without crushing them so the hot sauce can circulate around the pasta.
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Repeat with the remaining lasagna sheets until all the filling is used up and the pan is full of rolls. Drizzle the reserved tomato sauce over the top but don't blanket cover it, add a rustic charm with bits of lasagne exposed; these will crisp up in the oven and you will thank me later.
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Tent loosely with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove the pan from oven, and remove the foil. Drizzle with the oil and then top with mozzarella. Bake for 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and golden and you've got some crunchy golden bits on the edges. Wait for 3 or 4 minutes to allow it to slightly solidify prior to serving.Check a centre roll is piping hot and the pasta is tender before serving; bubbling cheese and browned edges alone do not confirm the filling at the centre is fully heated. The short rest also helps the rolls hold their shape when portioned.
Nutrition Facts
Servings 5
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 773.23kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 35.74g55%
- Saturated Fat 16.01g81%
- Cholesterol 82.74mg28%
- Sodium 1315.19mg55%
- Potassium 695.56mg20%
- Total Carbohydrate 69.20g24%
- Dietary Fiber 8.03g33%
- Sugars 9.94g
- Protein 43.91g88%
- Vitamin C 18.94 mg
- Calcium 773.52 mg
- Iron 4.30 mg
- Vitamin D 0.18 IU
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
