I love a savory souffle, but I really hate whipping egg whites.
The sformati is a boon for us lazy souffle lovers.
This tender, airy, and luxurious Italian dish checks all the boxes, no whipping required.
What is sformati?
How to make spinach sformati
1.
(I couldnt find my sixth white ramekin, so Little Red gets a shot today.)
Use a pastry brush to grease the ramekins with melted butter.
Pour a tablespoon of grated parmesan into one of the ramekins.
Rotate and shake it so the cheese clings to the butter, and lightly lines the dish.
Pour any excess cheese into the next ramekin and repeat the process to line it.
This will help the sformati release from the ramekins easier after baking.
you’re free to blanch fresh spinach, but I thawed frozen cut-leaf spinach in the microwave instead.
Make a bechamel sauce
In a medium pot, start with a simple roux.
Add hot milk to the pot in four or five installments, whisking the mixture smooth every time.
Turn off the heat, and add salt and a dash of nutmeg.
The spinach should break down into very small pieces, and the whole mixture should be a lovely green.
Add the eggs and cheese and blend again until just incorporated, about 30 seconds.
Pour the mixture almost to the topabout a quarter-inch from the rim.
The sformati will souffle up, but theyll also deflate slightly once they cool.
Butter one side of a large piece of foil.
This will go over the top and keep any ambitious sformati from sticking.
This is a great time for a kettle with a long spout.
Cover the entire dish with the foil, butter-side down.
Theyre done when theyve puffed and the top looks dry.
Top them with grated parmesan and enjoy while warm.
Butter one side of a large sheet of foil.
(Big enough to cover a large casserole dish.)
Remove any excess cheese that isnt stuck to the butter.
Place the ramekins in a large casserole dish.
Heat 3 or 4 cups of water in a kettle.
Make the bechamel sauce in a medium pot over medium-low heat.
Add the flour and whisk them together for about two minutes, or until it smells toasted.
Turn off the heat and whisk in the salt and nutmeg.
Add the spinach and sauce to the food processor.
Blend on high speed for one minute, or until the spinach is well blended into small bits.
Add the eggs, yolk, and parmesan to the processor and blend for another 30 seconds.
Fill each ramekin with the mixture about a 1/4-inch from the rim.
Place the entire casserole dish in the oven.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sformati are puffed and the tops are dry.
