Mana's Spinach Ricotta Roll

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Cook or thaw spinach and squeeze dry. Season with a little salt and pepper; set aside.

Mix ricotta cheese with grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley; set aside.

MAKE THE CREPE BATTER: Mix together egg whites, flour and water, then beat with a wire whisk to get rid of lumps.

COOK THE CREPES: Lightly coat a crepe pan with olive oil and heat to medium. Ladle 2½ T crepe batter into heated pan. The crepe batter should lightly cover the bottom of the pan in a thin layer. Tilt pan to cover evenly. When edges of crepe turn lacy and brown and crepe is cooked through,remove crepe and stack on a plate. Continue until all the batter is used.

When the crepes are cooked, assemble the rolls: spoon 2 rounded T of ricotta cheese mixture and 1 T spinach mixture on each crepe. Fold or roll each crepe to seal in mixture.

MAKE AND COOK THE CASSEROLE: Place rolled crepes in a greased rectangular casserole dish. When the pan is full, spoon marinara sauce over crepes. Bake at 325 degrees F. for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

If you don't have a crepe pan, you can use a small (6-inch) frying pan. You can make your own marinara sauce, or use a prepared marinara or spaghetti sauce.

NOTES:

* An Italian vegetable casserole with spinach and cheese — Mana's spinach ricotta roll is a dish my roommate makes. She got the recipe from her Italian mother. I hope you like it as much as I do.

: Difficulty: moderate. : Time: 1 hour preparation, 20 minutes baking. : Precision: approximate measurement OK.

: Kathy Blain : Organization: California State University, Chico, California, USA

Your Mana's Spinach Ricotta Roll is ready. Good luck!