This is a traditional manicotti that uses a simple crêpe (instead of the more common pasta tube) filled with cheese, shredded meat, copious parsley and a little egg. Baking the crêpes for an hour gets them crisp around the edges and sets the filling nicely. Use the standard tomato sauce recipe, or feel free to enliven it a bit with some crisped pancetta. Don’t completely cover the manicotti with the sauce; leaving some crêpe exposed allows it to crisp up a bit in the oven. This dish provides an excellent opportunity to use up some lean big-boar meat that’s been cooked and shredded, as the rich cheeses and vibrant tomato sauce counterbalance and tame strong flavors.

Crêpes can be a bit of a pain to make, and sometimes the first couple don’t come out perfectly, so consider doubling the crêpe recipe for insurance. The worst thing that will come of it is a few extra crêpes for breakfast.

Serves 4

For the crêpes:

• 1 cup (132 g) all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup (242 g) milk
• Pinch salt
• Olive oil for the pan

The filling:

• 2 cups (285 g) shredded boar meat
• 1½ cups (369 g) whole milk ricotta cheese
• ½ cup (28 g) fresh mozzarella or provolone, diced or grated
• 1 cup (86 g) grated Parmigiano Reggiano, Asiago or Pecorino Romano, divided
• 2 eggs
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 1 bunch parsley, finely chopped (about 1 cup/42 g)
• A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• Salt and pepper
• Basic tomato sauce

Make the crêpes. Combine the flour, egg, milk and salt in a blender and puree until smooth, or whisk until smooth in a bowl. Refrigerate the batter for at least 1 hour.

Heat a small (7-in/18-cm) non-stick pan over medium-high heat and add enough olive oil to just coat the bottom. Once hot, pick up the pan with one hand and pour in ¼ cup (59 ml) of the batter with the other, immediately tilting and swirling the pan to coat the entire bottom. Return it to the burner and cook for about 15–25 seconds, then carefully flip it with a flexible spatula. Cook the second side for 15–25 seconds, then remove the crêpe to a plate; the crepe should be lightly browned in spots. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding a little olive oil each time. You should have 8 crêpes.

To make the filling, combine the shredded meat, ricotta, mozzarella or provolone, ½ cup (43 g) of the Parmigiano, eggs, lemon, parsley and nutmeg in a bowl, mixing very well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spread ⅔ of the tomato sauce over the bottom of a baking dish and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

Spoon a ½ cup (118 ml) of the filling into the center of each crêpe, then roll it up. Place them in the baking dish as you assemble them.

Once all of the crêpes are in the dish, pour the remaining sauce down the middle, leaving the edges of the crepes exposed. Dust with the remaining ½ cup (43 g) Parmigiano, pecorino or Asiago, and bake in the preheated oven for one hour, until bubbling. Serve immediately with a nice salad.