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1
Spoon the ricotta into a large, fine-mesh sieve or a colander lined with a double thickness of cheesecloth or a basket-type coffee filter.
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2
Place the sieve over a bowl and cover the ricotta well with plastic wrap.
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3
Let the ricotta drain in the refrigerator at least overnight, or up to 24 hours.
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4
Discard the liquid in the bottom of the bowl.
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5
Make the crepes.
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6
(This can be done up to 24 hours in advance.)
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7
Remove the stems from the spinach or chard.
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8
(Reserve chard stems for another use, if you like.)
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9
Wash and dry the leaves according to directions on page 67.
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10
Stir the greens into a large pot of boiling salted water and cook, stirring once or twice, until tender, about 2 minutes for the spinach or 5 to 6 minutes for the chard.
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11
Drain the greens in a colander and rinse them under cold water until cool enough to handle.
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12
With your hands, squeeze out as much water as you can from the greens.
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13
Chop coarsely.
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14
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
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15
Stir in the leeks and scallions and cook until wilted, about 4 minutes.
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16
Stir in the greens and cook, stirring, 2 minutes.
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17
Remove and cool.
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18
Turn the drained ricotta into a clean bowl.
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19
Whisk the eggs together with 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper, then beat them into the ricotta.
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20
Stir in the mascarpone, herbs, and greens mixture until blended.
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21
Make the bechamel sauce, strain it, and keep it at room temperature with a piece of plastic wrap applied directly to the surface.
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22
Using the softened butter, grease the bottom and sides of a 13 x 9inch ceramic or glass baking dish.
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23
Arrange as many crepes as necessary, side by side and barely overlapping, so they cover the sides of the dish completely and overhang the sides of the dish by about 2 inches.
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24
Part of the bottom of the baking dish will be covered by the crepes; cover the exposed part with some of the remaining crepes.
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25
(You will need about ten crepes to cover and overhang the dish as described above.)
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26
Preheat oven to 425 F. Reserve 1 cup of the bechamel sauce and 2 cups of the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano to dress the top of the pasticciata.
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27
Spread 1/3 cup of the bechamel in an even layer over the crepes lining the bottom of the dish.
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28
Spread 1 1/2 cups of the ricotta filling over the bechamel and top that with another layer of 1/3 cup of the bechamel.
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29
Sprinkle about 1/3 cup of the Parmigiano-Reggiano over the bechamel.
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30
Cover this first layer of filling with a layer of crepes, folding the crepes as necessary to make a nice even layer.
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31
Make another filling layer using half the remaining ricotta mixture, bechamel, and grated cheese.
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32
Top with a layer of crepes.
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33
Make the last filling layer using the remaining ricotta mixture, bechamel, and grated cheese.
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34
Fold the overhanging edges of the crepes over the top layer of filling.
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35
Top any uncovered filling with additional crepes.
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36
Spread the reserved 1 cup of bechamel in an even layer over the pasticciata, then sprinkle the reserved 2 cups of Parmigiano-Reggiano over the bechamel.
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37
Bake until the top of the pasticciata is well browned and the edges are crispy, about 30 minutes.
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38
Remove and let cool for 15 to 30 minutes.
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39
Cut the pasticciata into squares and serve.
