Cannelloni are a traditional Emilian dish known throughout Italy and usually cooked for Sunday family lunches, often on Easter, or for cheerful, informal dinners with friends. You can make cannelloni with either a meat or vegetable filling like our recipe below that features spinach and ricotta. But there are also many other combinations that taste just as good – from escarole and taleggio cheese to leeks and gorgonzola. Then there’s the filling with artichokes and brie cheese – a perfect option for vegetarians! All these recipes are even better when they’re assembled the day before and if necessary, they can even be frozen until ready to cook.
Pair them with a soft and creamy bechamel sauce or a simple tomato sauce for those who like more intense flavors.
Our Recipe for Cannelloni di magro
Ingredients:
For the pasta:
2 cups flour
3 eggs
Salt
For the stuffing:
2 lbs boiled spinach (with excess liquid drained)
1 lb ricotta cheese
7 oz Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1 shallot
Oil
Salt
Nutmeg
For the bechamel:
4 oz butter
4 oz flour
1-quart fresh milk
Salt
Nutmeg
Method:
Form a well in the middle of the flour and break the eggs inside it with a pinch of salt. Begin to knead this mixture into a dough. Work the dough for quite a while until it has a smooth and homogeneous texture. Form a ball, cover it with a sheet of plastic wrap and let rest in the fridge for an hour.
Separately, drizzle some oil in a pan and sauté the sliced shallot and chopped spinach. Let the spinach wither for a few minutes and then transfer to a bowl with the ricotta cheese, nutmeg, parmesan cheese, and salt. Mix well.
Roll out the dough for a thin 2 mm thick sheet that will be cut into 8 cm long rectangles. Boil the pasta in a pot filled with water and then spread onto a cloth. Fill pasta with ricotta and spinach mixture, and then roll them up to form cannelloni.
Melt butter in a pot and add flour. Once the butter and flour are mixed together, add the milk a little at a time. Cook over low heat until the cream thickens, stirring constantly to avoid any lumps. Add the nutmeg and salt and then set aside.
Place the cannelloni on a greased baking sheet and set them one next to the other without overlapping them. Top with béchamel sauce and sprinkle with parmesan cheese and a little extra butter. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes and leave them in the oven for another two minutes on broil to form a crunchy crust if you want. Serve warm.