Ricotta and Pesto Cannelloni / Cannelloni di ricotta e pesto

Ricotta and Pesto Cannelloni

Cannelloni di ricotta e pesto

A recipe from Campania and the Amalfi Coast regions of Italy

Ate this beautiful recipe in summer sunshine that would put the Amalfi Coast to shame!
The pesto and the ricotta works really well together. Will be trying this myself. R. E.

Adapted from a recipe on these websites: http://thedaringkitchen.com/recipe/cannelloni AND https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/spinach-ricotta-cannelloni. Also, adapted from the book “Truly Italian – quick and simple vegetarian cooking” by Ursula Ferrigno.

“I have a great affinity with cannelloni, and in Italy we have many varieties. It can be made into a wonderful appetizer dish” Ursula Ferrigno

“This is another one of my favourites. I love pesto and making cannelloni with it takes this dish to a new dimension! It is a great vegetarian option!” Ligia, co-author of “The Daring Kitchen”

Ingredients: No. of servings 6

• 24 dried cannelloni tubes
• 190g jar of green pesto (store-bought)
• 15ml good quality olive oil
• 20g unsalted butter, melted
• 200g vegetarian cheese

For the filling

• 500 gm ricotta cheese
• 150 gm pesto (see above)
• 50 gm vegetarian cheese, finely grated
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 large free-range egg

For the topping

• 500 ml passata
• 1 tsp dried coriander
• 2 tsp white wine vinegar
• 4 tbsp flat leaf parsley
• ground salt and pepper

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200C / 180C fan / gas mark 6.

2. In a large bowl make the filling; mix the ricotta, 150 gm of pesto, 50 g of vegetarian cheese, 1 large egg, nutmeg, a pinch of salt and pepper together until well combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

3. Use an ovenproof dish to fit in all your cannelloni tightly (Tip: use two ovenproof dishes if needed). Place the cannelloni tubes in the ovenproof dish before you do anything. This way you can figure out how they’re going to fit beforehand. Pour the melted butter into the bottom of the ovenproof casserole dish. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil and stir to mix. Spread it well, especially into the corners.

4. Place the cannelloni tubes upright in the ovenproof dish. Fill each cannelloni tube with about 3 – 4 tsp. of ricotta and pesto filling using a small spoon (alternatively, use a piping bag). Lay the tubes flat on the bottom of the dish. Repeat this until the cannelloni fit tightly together on a single layer.

5. Place all the ingredients for the topping into a large bowl and stir to mix thoroughly. Pour the passata sauce over the top of the cannelloni tubes to cover completely.

6. Cover the ovenproof dish with baking foil and bake the cannelloni in the pre-heated oven for 15 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and take away the baking foil. Sprinkle the remaining 150g of cheese all over the passata sauce and return to the oven uncovered and bake for 15 minutes until piping hot and bubbling and the cheese has melted and the pasta tubes are fork tender. 

7. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 mins before serving. Garnish with some extra flat leaf parsley then serve immediately.

Freezing/Storage Instructions/Tips:

You can easily make the pasta sheets in advance and freeze them uncooked for up to 3 months. Simply let them dry for a few hours and wrap them individually in cling wrap and then put them in a freezer bag. You can also prepare the full dish and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours before baking it, or freeze it covered with aluminium foil. Defrost it and/or bring it back to room temperature before baking it.

BBC Good Food website:

TIPS FOR FREEZING COOKED CANNELLONI

Freeze individual cooked portions in ovenproof dishes or foil trays. Simply reduce the cooking time slightly when re-heating.

TIPS FOR FREEZING

Allow the cannelloni to cool at room temperature before covering well with cling film, then freeze. Always freeze on the day you make it. Defrost uncooked cannelloni in the fridge overnight, then cook as per recipe. To cook from frozen: heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and cook, covered with foil, for 1 hr 25 mins. Remove foil, turn oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and cook, uncovered, for 20-30 mins.

“How do I reheat precooked cannelloni? You’ve only mentioned uncooked…… Hi, thanks for your question. To reheat the entire dish of cooked cannelloni, heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Cover with foil and cook for about 30 mins or until bubbling all the way through. Individual portions can be reheated in the same way but may only need 15-20 mins. If frozen then defrost in the fridge overnight first. We hope this helps. Best wishes, BBC Good Food Team.”

Produced by John Fletcher at http://www.johnstastesofitaly.com