Cannelloni

 Meat filled Cannelloni

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Cannelloni is one of our family's favourite dishes and a popular feature in my mother's kitchen. We like to call them "Mamma's famous cannelloni" because her reputation for fantastic cannelloni quickly grew in our neighbourhood. She eventually started making them for an Italian restaurant and for the local Italian Club. She also started a small business making trays of them for others. The grandkids and great-grandkids love them and it was always an assumption that we would be served a large tray of meat and cheese cannelloni on every special occasion or celebration. When we would make the trek up North to visit them or they would come here there was always a cooler full of bags of cannelloni. I made sure to make them last until their next visit. They can be a bit time consuming to make so I would recommend that you make a large amount and you can freeze them for later use. You can freeze them individually on a parchment lined cookie sheet and place in a large freezer bag or prepare a casserole dish and just pop in the oven when you want them! They are worth the effort! 

To save some time, I decided to purchase fresh lasagna sheets from the grocers (I find them in the meats and cheese section) and cut them in half rather than making my own from scratch.  There are approximately 8 sheets per package and I used 2 packages which yielded about 32 cannelloni. Of course, feel free to make your own pasta and it will truly be like my mamma's! Both options are delicious!

I would also recommend that you boil the packages one at a time in a large pot of generously salted water. As you are preparing the first batch, put the second batch on to boil. This will reduce the time the pasta sits and avoids tearing  as it adheres to other sheets. I drape them over the colander or lay them flat on a tablecloth to reduce sticking. Be careful not to overcook the pasta. 

The sauce can be made fresh or you can use sauce that you may have in the freezer. It should not be thick as the sauce will absorb into the pasta as it bakes. The best sauce is a simple sauce of tomatoes, onions, garlic and basil.

I will post a recipe for spinach and ricotta cannelloni soon. However, the directions are exactly the same as this AND the filling is the same one that I use for my Stuffed Pasta Shells. That recipe is on my blog so you just need to look at that!

It is also important to allow your meat mixture and sauce to cool before preparing the cannelloni. You can make these ahead of time and store in fridge(even overnight). The ground meat you choose is really up to your preferences. Traditionally, it is a combination of veal, beef and pork. 

As with all of my recipes the measurements for spices are just estimates. Don't like a spice? Then leave it out! If you feel you want more of one ingredient then add more! When it is enough for you is what QB signifies in my recipes. It is important to start with small additions of spices and then taste test and adjust as you go along. Quanto basta  is what Italian cooking is all about.  Let your taste buds be your guide!

Cominciamo!

Ingredients:

For the sauce

• 1 can of peeled plum tomatoes crushed with an immersion blender or by hand
• 1 jar of passata
• 1 tbsp of tomato paste
• 1 medium onion diced
• 2-3 chopped garlic cloves (QB)
• fresh or dried basil (QB)
• 1 tsp or more dried oregano (QB)
• 1 tsp or more dried thyme (QB)

For the meat mixture

• 1 lb of  ground beef
• 1 lb of ground pork
• 1 lb of ground veal
• 1 medium onion diced
• 3-4 diced garlic cloves (QB)
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning (QB)
• 1 cup of freshly grated parmigiano reggiano (QB)
• 4 cups of grated mozarella (QB). I grated about 3 balls.
• 2 pkgs of fresh lasagna sheets. (do not cut in half until after boiling them)

Directions:

For the sauce

1. Saute onions and garlic in a bit of olive oil in a saucepan until translucent. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
2. Add a tbsp of tomato paste into the middle of pan and work into the mixture until well coated.
3. Add crushed tomatoes and passata. Fill both containers about half full with water. swish around to get all the tomato juices  and add water to pot. 
4. Add basil, spices and salt and pepper and let simmer rapidly  for about half an hour to 45 minutes. Don't forget to taste test and add spices as needed. Turn off heat and allow to cool.

For the meat mixture

1. Using a large, deep skillet saute garlic and onions in warmed up olive oil until translucent.
2. Add ground meat, spices and salt and pepper.
3. Break up meat with flat edge wooden spoon and continue to cook until meat is very crumbly, cooked and beginning to brown. 
4. Once fully cooked add 2 ladles of the sauce and stir it in. 
5. Remove from heat and let cool. 
6. Once meat has cooled add 3/4 cup of parmigiano reggiano and about 2 cups of mozarella to the mixture in a large bowl and combine. 

Once both the sauce and meat has cooled you can cook the pasta, drain and have your station set up to prepare the cannelloni. Depending on how many you are making you may need one or two large casserole dishes or one casserole dish and a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (if freezing some)

1. Ladle some sauce on bottom of casserole dish to make a thin layer of sauce so pasta does not stick to bottom.
2. Place pasta sheet on cutting board and cut in half. Using a spoon or your hands, scoop out some meat mixture and place at one end of sheet. Roll the sheet making sure to tuck back in any meat that may fall out of the ends. Place on dish with the rolled edge down so that the cannelloni do not unwind. 
3. Pack them in tightly and continue until you have filled the whole tray. I make two rows of cannelloni. 
4. Once completed, ladle sauce over the pasta making sure to fully cover the noodles- don't be shy! 
5. Sprinkle the mozarella and parmigiano mixture on top.
6. Cover with tin foil.
7. Bake in middle rack at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. 
8. Remove tin foil and continue to bake for another 10-15 minutes. 
9. There should be a nice bubbling happening.
10. Remove from stove and let sit for 10 minutes before plating so that the juices can be absorbed into the pasta!
11. Enjoy!!!!

Buon Appetito!

Fatto con amore,

Elena 💜