canneloni

Canneloni

This was so tasty and really quite simple. Not having used canneloni shells before, it was a bit of an experiment that turned out really well. I just love Italian food, pasta dishes, vegetable dishes and one of my favorites is spaghetti meatballs, but this Canneloni dish hit the spot I tell you. (6 people)

What you need

1 cup white sauce

1 to 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce

Dry canneloni shells
1 small onion finely chopped
250g mushrooms (use 2 types different types)
125g ricotta cheese
1 egg lightly beaten
1/2 cup strong cheddar cheese grated
1/3 cup parmesan cheese finely grated
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
More grated parmesan to top

The process

In a pan on a medium heat with a little splash of olive oil, cook the onions until soft, then add the mushrooms and cook until soft and the pan seems quite dry.

Remove from the heat, taste and season with salt and pepper. Don’t add salt while the mushrooms are cooking, it draws out the moisture too quickly.

Now add all of the cheeses and 1/2 the beaten egg, mix to combine well.

Now here is the challenge. If you have a piping bag, use the largest nozzle you have, fill and squeeze the mixture into the shells. I place the on end and fill from the top. If not, wash your hand and and fill or use a teaspoon. Don’t get the filling onto the outside of the pasta shells.

Place enough white sauce on the base of a baking dish then place the filled shells on top close together, cover with the tomato sauce and then again with the rest of the white sauce and sprinkle over a generous amount of parmesan.

Place in a 180 Celsius oven for 30 minutes or so.

You will know that they are ready if you prick the canneloni shells with a toothpick and it pierces easily. The top should be brown and the sauce bubbling gently.

Serve with a nice simple salad and some warm crusty bread.

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