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Main Dish ~ Main Dish - Vegetarian ~ Recipe

Testaroli with Pesto – How to Make Testaroli, Also Known as Italian Crepes

by
Patty
-
March 28, 2021

I first encountered testaroli when the hubby and I went out to dinner on a vacation to Portland, Oregon, and it was on the menu. It’s rare that I bump into something that I have never seen or even read about as watching cooking shows and reading cookbooks are two of my favorite activities. Testaroli is an Italian dish that has been around since the time of the Etruscans. There are articles that I read that note it is the oldest known pasta.

It is traditionally served with pesto but I can’t wait to experiment with other sauces. I am the first to admit that this is not the most attractive meal on the planet but it is delicious.

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How to make testaroli, Italian crepes, Italian pancake, Testaroli with pesto recipe, Testaroli with pesto

Testaroli with Pesto 

Serves 3 – 4

10 oz (about 2 cups) all purpose flour
20 oz (about 2 1/2 cups) water
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
canola or vegetable oil
Pesto Sauce – I used about 3/4 of a cup to serve 3
Shredded Parmesan cheese for garnish

How to Make Testaroli

Preheat a cast iron pan in the oven to 525°
While the pan is heating make the batter

How to make testaroli, Italian crepes, Italian pancake, Testaroli with pesto recipe, Testaroli with pesto
Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Slowly add the water, a little at a time until you have a smooth batter with no lumps.

How to make testaroli, Italian crepes, Italian pancake, Testaroli with pesto recipe, Testaroli with pesto
Let sit for about 20 minutes to rest.
Remove the pan from the oven and set over medium high heat.
Add a small amount of oil to the pan and spread to coat

How to make testaroli, Italian crepes, Italian pancake, Testaroli with pesto recipe, Testaroli with pesto
Pour/ladle a thin coat of the batter into the pan to cover the bottom.
Let cook until small bubbles form. About 2 – 3 minutes
Flip the crepe and let cook on the over side to crisp up

How to make testaroli, Italian crepes, Italian pancake, Testaroli with pesto recipe, Testaroli with pesto
Remove from the pan to a wire rack to cool.
Repeat until all the batter is used, re-oiling when necessary.
Do not pile the crepes on top of one another.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil

How to make testaroli, Italian crepes, Italian pancake, Testaroli with pesto recipe, Testaroli with pesto
While the water is heating cut the crepes; first into strips, then into diamonds.

How to make testaroli, Italian crepes, Italian pancake, Testaroli with pesto recipe, Testaroli with pesto
When the water reaches a full, rolling boil add the crepe pieces and then turn off the heat.

How to make testaroli, Italian crepes, Italian pancake, Testaroli with pesto recipe, Testaroli with pesto
Immediately drain the pot into a strainer.

How to make testaroli, Italian crepes, Italian pancake, Testaroli with pesto recipe, Testaroli with pesto
Add the testaroli to a bowl with half of the pesto in the bottom

How to make testaroli, Italian crepes, Italian pancake, Testaroli with pesto recipe, Testaroli with pesto
Gently toss the pasta adding the additional pesto until coated.

How to make testaroli, Italian crepes, Italian pancake, Testaroli with pesto recipe, Testaroli with pesto
Serve with shredded Parmesan

How Was the Testaroli?

OH.MY.WORD.

It was as good as I remembered from the restaurant. I can’t believe I had never heard of this before – it is not the last time I will be making it. This is a dish that is driven by the sauce – the underlying crepe/pasta/pancake whatever you want to call it –  is good –  but it’s the sauce that’s that star of the meal.

How to make testaroli, Italian crepes, Italian pancake, Testaroli with pesto recipe, Testaroli with pesto

The pesto I used for this meal I had made the day before. The recipe? That’s a tough one – I don’t measure when I make pesto. I just use what I have on hand with basil and go from there. Sorry… What I don’t use in the first week I freeze in ice cube trays so I have it for later.

I did manage to work a pesto recipe up but by all means feel free to improvise. Honestly, I probably don’t make pesto the same way twice.

How Does the Testaroli Keep?

I can also let you know that the Testaroli holds over well for leftovers mixed with the pesto. The crepes can be kept wrapped, then cut and boiled a couple of days later and they taste freshly made. I haven’t tried freezing them so I can’t, at least at this point, report on that.

How to make testaroli, Italian crepes, Italian pancake, Testaroli with pesto recipe, Testaroli with pesto

What I do know is that I will be trying these delicious crepes with fresh tomato sauce when I have tomatoes and with a variation on eggplant pesto when the eggplants come in. They are a delightful base for different sauces.

The trip to Portland was such a delight. Hopefully we will get back there again as there is still so much more to see. You can bet I will want to go back to the restaurant where we had these testaroli – assuming it’s still there – and try something else. The food was so good.

Print

Testaroli with Pesto

How to make testaroli, Italian crepes, Italian pancake, Testaroli with pesto recipe, Testaroli with pesto
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

★★★★★

4.3 from 3 reviews

Italian boiled crepes with homemade pesto sauce

  • Author: Patty @bookscookslooks.com
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
  • Yield: 3 - 4 1x
  • Category: main dish
  • Method: Stove Top
  • Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

Scale
  • 10 oz (about 2 cups) all purpose flour
  • 20 oz (about 2 1/2 cups) water
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • canola or vegetable oil
  • Pesto Sauce – I used about 3/4 of a cup to serve 3
  • Shredded Parmesan cheese for garnish

Instructions

  • Preheat a cast iron pan in the oven to 525°
  • While the pan is heating make the batter
  • Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
  • Slowly add the water, a little at a time until you have a smooth batter with no lumps.
  • Let sit for about 20 minutes to rest.
  • Remove the pan from the oven and set over medium high heat.
  • Add a small amount of oil to the pan and spread to coat
  • Pour/ladle a thin coat of the batter into the pan to cover the bottom.
  • Let cook until small bubbles form. About 2 – 3 minutes
  • Flip the crepe and let cook on the over side to crisp up
  • Remove from the pan to a wire rack to cool.
  • Repeat until all the batter is used, re-oiling when necessary.
  • Do not pile the crepes on top of one another.
  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil
  • While the water is heating cut the crepes; first into strips, then into diamonds.
  • When the water reaches a full, rolling boil add the crepe pieces and then turn off the heat.
  • Immediately drain the pot into a strainer.
  • Add the testaroli to a bowl with half of the pesto in the bottom
  • Gently toss the pasta adding the additional pesto until coated.
  • Serve with shredded Parmesan

Notes

Prep time includes the time to make the pesto

Did you make this recipe?

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About

Happily living in the small city of Brattleboro, Vermont, Patty Woodland is navigating the urban life of sidewalks and neighbors in New England. She will share life in her small city, the books she reads, and as always, the delicious food she cooks and bakes.

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