Vegetable sformato: an easy Italian soufflé-like flan
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Vegetable sformato (Italian vegetable flan)
Italian soufflés are more rustic and forgiving than their French cousins. You don’t have to eat them the moment they rise; in fact, they’re easier to cut and serve once they’ve cooled a little, and they’re even delicious cold. Our guests are always delighted when we make them.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 3 small bunches of asparagus, or 1 small cauliflower, or the same amount of another vegetable that loses its water when sautéed, such as spinach
- 2 knobs of butter and a splash of oil
- 1–2 tablespoons flour
- 500 ml (2 cups) milk
- Nutmeg
- Salt and pepper
- 4 eggs
- Breadcrumbs, for the dish
- 100 g (1 cup) freshly grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Steam or sauté the vegetables so they lose as much water as possible. If you steam them, sauté them afterwards in a little butter to dry them out further.
- Purée the vegetables and let cool.
- Make a béchamel: melt one knob of butter in a saucepan with the splash of oil, add the flour and whisk to remove any lumps.
- Add the milk little by little over low heat, whisking well. Grate in about a quarter of a nutmeg and season with salt and pepper.
- Cook until it starts to thicken but is still quite runny, then let cool.
- Separate the eggs, setting the whites aside.
- Stir the vegetable purée and the egg yolks into the cooled béchamel.
- Butter a high-sided ovenproof dish and coat the butter with breadcrumbs.
- Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks and fold them carefully into the vegetable mixture.
- Pour the mixture gently into the dish and sprinkle the Parmesan on top.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, until the cheese is browned and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Notes
Serves 8 as a starter, or 4 as a one-course meal.
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