Vegetable cannelloni

Ingredients

• 30 ml (2 tablespoons)olive oil
• 1onion
• 1 cantomatoes
• 2½ tablespoonstomato purée
• ½ tablespoonbasil
• ½ teaspoonoregano
• 1 teaspoonsugar
• ½ teaspoonsalt
• ½ teaspoonblack pepper
• 22.5 ml (1½ tablespoons)olive oil
• 1 tablespoonbutter
• 1onion
• 2 clovesgarlic
• 250 glean meat
• 250 gspinach
• 4 tablespoonsParmesan
• 1½ tablespoonsdouble cream
• 1egg
• ½ teaspoonoregano
• ¼ teaspoonsalt
• 6 peppercornsblack pepper
• 2 tablespoonsbutter
• 3 tablespoonsplain flour
• 150 ml plus 2 tablespoonsmilk
• 3 tablespoonsdouble cream
• ¼ teaspoonsalt
• ¼ teaspoonwhite pepper
• 1 teaspoonsalt
• 250 gcannelloni
• 3 tablespoonsParmesan
• 1 tablespoonbutter

Instructions

1. 1

   Make tomato sauce

   Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over a moderate heat. Add the onion and fry until soft but not browned. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato purée, basil, oregano, sugar, salt and black pepper. Turn the heat to low, cover and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. 2

   Set sauce aside

   Take the saucepan off the heat and set the tomato sauce aside.

3. 3

   Soften aromatics

   Heat the olive oil and butter in a frying pan over a moderate heat. Add the onion and garlic and fry until soft but not browned, stirring from time to time.

4. 4

   Cook meat filling

   Add the meat and cook until browned. Stir in the spinach and cook for 5 minutes, until all its moisture has evaporated, stirring with a wooden spoon.

5. 5

   Finish the filling

   Transfer the meat and spinach mixture to a medium bowl. Add the Parmesan, cream, egg, oregano, salt and black pepper, mix well with a spoon and set aside.

6. 6

   Start white sauce

   To make the cream sauce, melt the butter in a small saucepan over a moderate heat. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the flour with a wooden spoon. Gradually add 150 ml of the milk and the cream.

7. 7

   Thicken the sauce

   Return the pan to the heat and cook until the sauce comes to the boil; it will become very thick. Remove it from the heat and add the salt and white pepper. Pour the remaining 2 tablespoons of milk over the sauce to prevent a skin forming, then set the pan aside.

8. 8

   Heat the oven

   Preheat the oven to 190°C.

9. 9

   Cook cannelloni

   Bring 2.5 litres of water to the boil in a large saucepan over a high heat. Add the teaspoon of salt and the cannelloni, and cook until tender. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and lay them on a damp tea towel to drain.

10. 10

    Fill the pasta

    When the cannelloni are cool enough to handle, put a tablespoon of filling in the centre of each pasta rectangle and roll it up.

11. 11

    Arrange in dish

    Pour a thin layer of tomato sauce into the base of a large, shallow ovenproof dish. Arrange the cannelloni on top in one or two layers.

12. 12

    Add the sauces

    Stir the cream sauce to combine it with the milk, then pour it over the cannelloni. Spoon over the remaining tomato sauce, sprinkle with grated Parmesan and dot with the butter.

13. 13

    Bake until bubbling

    Place the dish in the oven and bake until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese has melted.

14. 14

    Serve straight away

    Serve immediately from the baking dish.

What is cannelloni?

Cannelloni are pasta tubes or sheets rolled around a filling, then baked with sauce. The dish belongs to Italian cooking, where filled pasta is served in many regional forms.

This version pairs spinach and lean meat with Parmesan and cream, under both tomato and white sauces. The layered sauces keep the pasta moist as it bakes.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 610 calories, 31g protein, 58g carbs, 27g fat.

The cannelloni and flour provide most of the carbohydrates, while the oils, butter and cream contribute much of the fat. Meat, Parmesan, egg and milk supply protein; add a generous side salad or vegetables to round out the meal.

The tomato sauce

Gentle cooking: soften the onion without browning it before adding the tomatoes and seasonings. The recipe simmers the sauce for about 20 minutes, which gives the flavours time to come together.

Keep it covered: a lid helps the sauce cook steadily, while occasional stirring prevents it catching on the bottom of the pan.

A filling that stays put

Cook off the moisture: the spinach is cooked with the meat for 5 minutes, until its liquid has evaporated. This helps keep the filling from becoming watery inside the pasta.

Cool before mixing: transferring the filling to a bowl before adding the egg, cream and cheese gives you a manageable mixture to spoon into the cannelloni.

Making the cream sauce

Start off the heat: stir the flour into the melted butter after taking the saucepan away from the hob. Gradually adding the measured milk and cream helps create a smooth base.

Watch the texture: the sauce is meant to become very thick when it boils. The final 2 tablespoons of milk are poured over it while it rests to help prevent a skin forming.

Filling and arranging

Cool the pasta: drain the cooked cannelloni on a damp tea towel and wait until they are cool enough to handle. The recipe calls for a tablespoon of filling in the centre of each rectangle before rolling.

Layer the dish: spread a thin coat of tomato sauce across the base, then arrange the cannelloni in one or two layers. This puts sauce beneath the pasta as well as over it.

Baking and serving

Bake at 190°C until the sauce bubbles and the cheese melts. The recipe does not give a baking time, so use those visual cues rather than a fixed number of minutes.

Serve from the ovenproof dish straight away. A crisp green salad or simply dressed vegetables make a fresh counterpoint to the creamy, saucy pasta.

Recipe notes & tips

• Dice the onions finely so they soften evenly in both sauces and the filling.
• Stir the tomato sauce now and then during its 20-minute simmer.
• Cook the spinach until its visible liquid has evaporated before combining the filling.
• Add the milk to the flour and butter gradually, stirring as you pour.
• Drain the cannelloni on a damp tea towel so they are easier to handle.
• Use a shallow ovenproof dish large enough to arrange the pasta in one or two layers.

Variations

• Meat choice: use the lean meat specified in the recipe, such as lean beef or pork, for the filling.
• More greens: add extra cooked spinach, making sure to remove its liquid before mixing.
• Herb change: swap the basil for another herb suited to tomato sauce.
• Cheese topping: replace the final Parmesan with another hard, grated cheese.
• Tomato seasoning: adjust the sugar and black pepper to suit the taste of your tinned tomatoes.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Browning the onions: they should soften without taking on colour; lower the heat if they start to brown.
• Watery spinach: keep cooking the filling until its moisture has evaporated before adding the other ingredients.
• Lumpy white sauce: take the pan off the heat to stir in the flour, then add the liquid gradually.
• Overcooking the pasta: cook the cannelloni only until tender, then lift them out with a slotted spoon.
• Filling while too hot: let the pasta cool enough to handle before adding a tablespoon of filling and rolling.
• Skipping the base sauce: spread a thin layer of tomato sauce under the cannelloni to coat the bottom of the dish.

How to store

Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container and eat within 2 days. Reheat in an ovenproof dish until piping hot throughout; add a little water or milk if the sauce has thickened.

Frequently asked questions