Crepe Manicotti with Veal Ragù

Ingredients

• For the ragù:
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, minced
• 1 medium carrot, minced
• 4 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 2 fresh rosemary sprigs, stems discarded and needles minced
• 2 pounds ground veal, divided
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 bay leaf
• For the crepes:
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs
• 2 1/2 cups whole milk
• Kosher salt
• Unsalted butter, for the pan
• For the béchamel:
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole milk
• Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• To Assemble:
• 2 cups tomato sauce, such as Quick and Easy Italian-American Red Sauce, Slow-Cooked Tomato Sauce, or Fresh Tomato Sauce, divided
• Parmigiano Reggiano, for grating

Directions

1. For the Ragù: Set a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and warm the olive oil until it glints. Stir in the onion, carrot, and garlic, and cook, moving them around often, until they soften and pick up a little color, about 6 minutes. Add the rosemary and half of the veal. Cook, stirring often and dragging your spoon along the bottom of the pot, until the meat is deeply browned, 8 to 10 minutes; crumble the veal into very small pieces as it cooks. Add salt and pepper. Add the remaining veal and continue cooking, breaking it into small bits and scraping the pot, until it is just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Pour in the white wine and cook, loosening the browned bits from the bottom and sides, until the sharp alcohol aroma has faded, about 5 minutes. Stir in the milk and bay leaf, bring the mixture to a simmer, then turn the heat down and let it barely bubble, stirring now and then, until the ragù has thickened and the meat is tender, about 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaf, adjust with salt and pepper, and keep the ragù warm.
2. Meanwhile, Make the Crepes: Cover a large plate or baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, eggs, milk, and a large pinch of salt until the batter is smooth. Place a 10-inch nonstick or crepe pan over medium-high heat. Drop in a small pat of butter, let it melt, and tilt the pan so the butter coats the surface.
3. Pour in a ladleful of batter, about 3/4 cup; 175ml, and quickly rotate the pan so it spreads into one wide, thin crepe. Cook until the surface starts to look set and dry and the underside is beginning to color, about 1 minute. Slide a spatula around to loosen it, then turn it over with the spatula or your fingertips. If you are comfortable, you can flip it in the pan instead. Cook the other side until lightly browned, then move the crepe to the parchment-lined plate or baking sheet.
4. Repeat with the rest of the batter, buttering the pan each time and piling the finished crepes as you make them. Set them aside.
5. For the Béchamel: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, watching that it does not brown. Whisk in the flour to make a paste. Cook, stirring, until the flour no longer smells raw, about 1 minute. While whisking constantly, pour in the milk in a slow, narrow stream, or add it a couple of tablespoons at a time, whisking well and reaching the edges of the pan so the sauce stays smooth. It will tighten up quite a bit at first, then loosen once all the milk has been incorporated.
6. Cook, stirring, until the sauce reaches a simmer and starts to thicken. Lower the heat to low and keep cooking, stirring, until it is thick enough to cling to the back of a wooden spoon, about 4 minutes.
7. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the nutmeg. If lumps appear, whisk vigorously until the sauce smooths out; for stubborn or large lumps, use a hand blender or countertop blender. Keep the béchamel warm, with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface so a skin does not form.
8. To Assemble: Heat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Stir 1 1/4 cups (300ml) béchamel sauce into the veal ragù. Spread 1 cup (240ml) tomato sauce evenly across the bottom of a 9- by 13-inch baking dish.
9. Fill the crepes one at a time: lay 1 crepe on your work surface, then spoon a generous line of ragù just off the center. Roll it into a filled tube and gently place it in the baking dish. Keep filling, rolling, and nestling the crepes next to one another until the dish is full. You will likely have several crepes left over, since this recipe intentionally gives you extra in case of duds and mistakes, along with a small amount of ragù that can be saved for another use.
10. Spread the remaining béchamel evenly over the rolled crepes, then cover it with the remaining tomato sauce in an even layer. Grate Parmigiano Reggiano over the top.
11. Bake the manicotti until hot all the way through and lightly browned on top, about 25 minutes. Serve.