This baked chicken pasta dish is a tasty, filling family meal. There's also a vegetarian version below.
Ingredients
For the cannelloni al pollo:
- 26 sheets of fresh pasta
- 1x 720 ml25¼ fl oz bottle of passata (sieved tomatoes)
- 15 basil leaves
- 50 g1¾ oz parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 2 mozzarella balls, drained and finely sliced (do not use buffalo mozzarella)
For the filling:
- 500 g17¾ oz ricotta cheese
- 3 mozzarella balls, drained and cut into 1cm cubes (do not use buffalo mozzarella)
- 200 g7 oz fresh basil leaves, chopped
- 200 g7 oz sundried tomatoes in oil, drained
- 200 g7 oz grilled chicken breast cut into 1-2cm cubes, cold
- ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the béchamel sauce:
- 100 g3½ oz salted butter
- 100 g3½ oz plain flour
- 1 L full fat milk, cold
- ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
For the cannelloni vegetariani:
- 26 sheets of fresh pasta
- 1x 720 ml25¼ fl oz bottle of passata, sieved tomatoes
- 15 basil leaves
- 30 g1 oz pecorino cheese, freshly grated
For the filling:
- 500 g17¾ oz ricotta cheese
- 80 g2¾ oz frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed to remove any excess water
- 100 g3½ oz rocket leaves, chopped
- 100 g3½ oz finely chopped courgettes, cooked for 5min in a frying pan with 3 tbsp of olive oil
- 100 g3½ oz finely chopped aubergines, cooked for 5min in a frying pan with 3 tbsp of olive oil
- ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 60 g2 oz pecorino cheese, freshly grated
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the béchamel sauce:
- as above
Method: How to make Two delicious cannelloni dishes
For the cannelloni al pollo:
Preheat the oven at 180C/Gas 4.
To make the béchamel sauce melt the butter in a large saucepan on a medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for one minute until it becomes a light brown colour. Gradually whisk in the cold milk, reduce the heat and cook for 10 minutes whisking constantly. Once thickened, stir in the nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper and set aside to slightly cool.
Pour the passata in a large bowl with the basil leaves. Season with salt and pepper, mix all together and set aside.
To prepare the filling, place all the ingredients in a large bowl, except the mozzarella. Season with salt and pepper and, with the help of a fork, mix all together. Scatter over the cubed mozzarella, gently fold all together and leave in the fridge to rest.
Cut the pasta sheets into rectangles measuring 7x15cm.
Prepare a large saucepan with plenty of salted boiling water and start to cook the pasta sheets in batches of five.
Boil the pasta for one minute then remove and place in a large bowl with cold water, this will stop the pasta going soggy. After a minute in the cold water, remove the sheets of pasta and place onto a clean tea towel.
Place one-and-a-half tablespoons of filling onto each pasta sheet and start to roll up the pasta from the narrow side going forward. To seal the cannellone, overlap the pasta sheet for approx 2cm. Repeat the process until all the pasta sheets are filled.
Select a rectangular dish measuring 25 x 35cm and pour in a third of the béchamel sauce. Spread evenly.
Place half of the cannelloni onto the béchamel layer with the seam facing down.
Spoon over half of the passata and half of the remaining béchamel sauce.
Build up the second layer of cannelloni and spoon over the remaining passata. Spread over the remaining béchamel sauce.
Finish by sprinkling over the parmesan cheese and bake in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes.
Take the dish out of the oven, place the slices of mozzarella on top and continue to bake for a further 15 minutes until golden and crispy.
Once ready, leave it to rest for 5 minutes out of the oven. It will be easier to cut and serve as the layers hold together.
For the Cannelloni vegetariani:
Preheat the oven at 180C/Gas 4.
Pour the passata in a large bowl with the basil leaves. Season with salt and pepper, mix all together and set aside.
To make the béchamel sauce, melt the butter in a large saucepan on a medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute until becomes a light brown colour.
Gradually whisk in the cold milk, reduce the heat and cook for 10 minutes whisking constantly. Once thickened, stir in the nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper and set aside to slightly cool.
To prepare the filling, place all the ingredients in a large bowl, season with salt and pepper and with the help of a fork, mix all together. Let it rest in a refrigerator as you cook the pasta sheets.
Cut the pasta sheets into rectangles measuring 7x15cm.
Prepare a large saucepan with plenty of salted boiling water and start to cook the pasta sheets in batches of five.
Boil the pasta for 1 minute then remove and place in a large bowl with cold water, this will stop the pasta going soggy. After a minute in the cold water, remove the sheets of pasta and place onto a clean tea towel.
Place one-and-a-half tablespoons of filling onto each pasta sheet and start to roll up the pasta from the narrow side going forward. To seal the cannelloni, overlap the pasta sheet for approx 2cm. Repeat the process until all the pasta sheets are filled.
Select a rectangular dish measuring 25 x 35cm and pour in a third of the béchamel sauce. Spread evenly.
Place half of the cannelloni onto the béchamel layer with the seam facing down.
Spoon over half of the passata and half of the remaining béchamel sauce.
Build up the second layer of cannelloni and spoon over the remaining passata. Spread over the remaining béchamel sauce.
Finish by sprinkling over the pecorino cheese and bake in the middle of the oven for 35 minutes or until coloured and crispy.
Once ready, leave it to rest for 5 minutes out of the oven. It will be easier to cut and serve as the layers hold together.
