Celine's Cuisine

Stuffed Canelloni pasta

I love to visit Edda’s food blog. She is Italian-French and lives in Paris. She has a gorgeous blog: Un Dejeuner de Soleil
with fantastic Italian or non-Italian recipes. When you look at her pictures you want to lick your screen, I love the way she writes and she has a great knowledge on any food and I am sure you can ask her any questions about cooking baking she knows. She is an amazing blogger and a real perfectionist. Beside her very popular blog her recipes are displayed all over French Women Magazines and last year she released a beautiful cookbook ” Un dejeuner de Soleil”.
My sister and my mother owns this cookbook and are raving about it all the time. I can’t wait to see my signed copy, as soon as my sister brings it from Paris to me next month.

A big hit with my own family, we are crazy about homemade pasta and sauces or any food related to Italy from Espresso, Cafe alfredo, to paninis, and I have so many fond memories of Italy vacations when I was little with my family : Rimini, Venice, Vatican, Firenze, san MArin, Ravenna, Pompei and then with Joel Roma, Sorento, Capri island, Naples, Almafi coast on moped scooter… I can’t wait to visit Italy again with my kids.

This recipe was made twice. Sure is a little long to cook and the ingredients list is pretty long, but this dish is ever better the next day so no worries if you have leftovers you will eat them.
I do not know anyone who can resist Italian food …..

Buon Appetito

homemade stuffed Canelloni pasta

Cannelloni stuffed with meat, ricotta and mozzarella with basil sauce – Adapted from Edda Onorato, Un Dejeuner de Soleil

(for 6 persons)

For the egg pasta dough
- 1 cup ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 fine semolina durum wheat
- 2 Organic Large eggs
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
For the ragù :
- 12 oz ground beef
- 9 oz pork loin cut in 1 inch pieces
- 2 cans of crushed canned tomatoes
- 1 glass of red wine
- 1 onion chopped
- Olive oil, salt, pepper, basil

For the stuffing
- 7 oz ricotta well drained (if possible fresh sheep)
- 1 cup buffalo mozzarella well drained
- 1 organic large egg
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt, pepper, nutmeg and basil
Sauce
- 2 cups canned tomatoes chopped
- 1 small clove of garlic
- ½ cup mozzarella
- Grated parmesan
- Olive oil, salt, basil leaves

1. Prepare the dough . Mix the two flours, then add the eggs and olive oil. When the dough becomes smooth work on a floured surface several times, folding in on itself so that it is soft and smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in the fridge at least 1 hour.
2. Prepare the meat sauce ( even the day before is fine). Fry in a heavy saucepan the chopped onion, pepper and 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add meat and whole until nicely colored on all sides. Pour the wine and let it evaporate. Lower the heat and add the tomato sauce, and salt. Simmer over medium heat for about ten minutes, stirring. Then reduce the heat to low, put a lid but leave a little open (secure with a wooden spoon). Simmer at least two hours, even 3-4 hours (taking care to go check and if necessary add a little water). The meat should be very tender, melting, pieces will detach themselves. Let cool then mix adding salt, parsley, a pinch of nutmeg, egg and parmesan. You must obtain a stew not completely homogeneous but fine enough. Stir in stuffing ricotta and mozzarella into small pieces. Cover with plastic wrap and keep cool.
3. Prepare the tomato sauce and basil. Sauté garlic in 2 tablespoons olive oil add the tomatoes and a dozen basil leaves. Simmer for fifteen minutes, then add salt . Set aside.
4. Boil water in a medium saucepan and add salt. Take 1/3 of the dough and the egg rolling pass (3-4 times in the first two times and thicknesses for the following). The dough should be smooth and very thin . Cut into squares of 7 inch and flour.
Repeat with remaining dough (1/3 at a time to prevent it drying out).
5. Cook the square 30 seconds in boiling water 2 at a time. Drain, rinse under cold water and place them on a cloth.
6. Grease a large baking dish and pour a little sauce with basil. Preheat oven to 180 ° C.
7. Put the meat filling in a pastry bag with a spoon. Add a small bead of stuffing and roll up to form a cannellone. Put it in the dish. And proceed with the remaining dough and filling.
Pour remaining sauce basil cannelloni, sprinkle with pieces of mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper and pour a little oil. Broil for about twenty minutes. The cannelloni must become crispy on top but still remain moist heart. Serve hot or warm with a few basil leaves.
if too dry place an aluminium foil on the top for the last 20 minutes cooking.
I like to add extra mozzarella on my pastas…