Homemade Cannelloni from Abruzzo (cannelloni all’abruzzese)
User Reviews
5
74 reviews
Excellent
-
Prep Time
1 hr
-
Cook Time
30 mins
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Servings
6
-
Calories
745 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Mediterranean, Italian
Homemade Cannelloni from Abruzzo (cannelloni all’abruzzese)
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Homemade Cannelloni from Abruzzo combines finely rolled pasta sheets with a rich filling of mixed ground meats seasoned with pecorino cheese, eggs, and nutmeg. The recipe features a soft wheat and fine corn flour dough, rolled paper-thin and cut into squares to be filled and cooked. The filling is cooked in olive oil and butter, then wrapped in the pasta and traditionally served with a tomato passata sauce enhanced by garlic and fresh basil. This method creates tender pasta with a savory, meaty center and a smooth tomato topping, suitable for a main course that showcases regional Italian flavors.
Description
Homemade Cannelloni from Abruzzo starts with a blend of soft wheat flour and fine corn flour to create a pasta dough that is rolled thin enough to see fingers through the sheet, allowing delicate yet sturdy pasta squares suitable for filling. The filling mixes ground pork, lamb, and beef with grated pecorino romano, eggs, nutmeg, and seasoning, then is browned gently in olive oil and butter to develop flavor and bind the ingredients. Once filled, the cannelloni are traditionally combined with a simple tomato passata sauce simmered with garlic and fresh basil, then topped with grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
The finished dish offers a rich, balanced blend of firm pasta and a juicy, seasoned meat filling that absorbs the bright, herb-scented tomato sauce during baking. It’s a dish designed to serve as either a starter sized for six or a main course for four, illustrating a careful balance of ingredients typical of the Abruzzo region.
The recipe notes include helpful guidance on rolling the pasta using a machine to achieve the appropriate thinness and state that no parboiling is needed if the sauce is sufficient, with a suggestion to add extra sauce for dried pasta tubes. The steps emphasize careful resting and rolling of dough for best results.
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Ingredients
For the homemade pasta
- 350 g Italian 00 flour or all purpose flour or hard wheat semolina flour, soft wheat, 12oz
- 150 g fine corn flour 5oz
- 1 teaspoon salt
- water as required, tepid
For the cannelloni filling
- 400 g ground beef or just 2 types of ground meat, mixed, 14oz
- 400 g ground pork
- 400 g ground lamb
- 100 g pecorino romano grated, 3.5oz
- 4 egg or 5 medium, large
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 30 g unsalted butter 1oz
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg freshly grated
- salt to taste
For tomato sauce if using
- 500 g tomato passata 1.1lbs
- 2 garlic peeled, cloves
- basil fresh leaves
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste, freshly ground
- 50 g Parmigiano Reggiano cheese grated, 2oz
Instructions
Make the pasta dough and sheets
- Sift the soft wheat flour (or hard wheat semolina flour) and the fine corn flour into a bowl or onto a pastry board, add a pinch of salt. Mix the flours and enough water together until you have the beginnings of a dough ball. Then knead on a pastry board until the dough is firm and elastic. Roll the dough into a ball and let it rest covered or wrapped in plastic wrap for 30 minutes.
- Cut off about ⅛th of the dough and roll it out into a thin sheet using a pasta machine or rolling pin (see notes). You should be able to just see your fingers through the sheet. Cut the dough sheet into 15cm squares and place them on a lightly floured surface. Repeat with the rest of the dough and let the ready sheets rest for another 10 minutes.
Make the filling
- Mix the ground meat with the pecorino, eggs, salt and nutmeg in a bowl. Heat the olive oil and 20g of butter in a frying pan or skillet and cook the filling mixture stirring more or less continuously until the meat is browned. Set aside and allow to cool.
Parboil the pasta sheets
- Bring abundant salted water to a boil, add a tablespoon of olive oil and cook the squares of pasta, a few at a time so that they do not stick together. Remove from the water one at a time and lay them gently on a clean tea towel.
Method 1 : Finish and bake your cannelloni.
- Place a little of the prepared meat filling on each square. Roll the sheets of pasta into cannelloni and arrange them seam side down in a pan greased with olive oil or butter. Brush the cannelloni with beaten egg yolk, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of cinnamon powder, add a few small pieces of butter on the top of the cannelloni and bake in a preheated oven at 160 ° C for about 20 minutes. Serve immediately
Method 2 : Cannelloni baked in tomato sauce.
- You don’t need to parboil the pasta for this method. I prefer to use thinner fresh pasta sheets than for the first method. You can also use dried cannelloni or manicotti instead.
Make the tomato sauce.
- Peel the garlic cloves and sauté them in olive oil until they start to soften. Add the tomato passata and some salt and pepper to taste and simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove the garlic and add the basil. Cook for another 5 minutes on alow heat.
Finish and bake
- Place some filling along the centre of each pasta square. Brush one side with egg yolk and roll the pasta around the filling (see photo in the post). Spread some tomato sauce in the bottom of an oven dish and place the cannelloni seam side down in the dish one next to the other.
- Cover the cannelloni with the rest of the tomato sauce and sprinkle the top with a generous amount of parmigiano. Bake in a preheated oven at 175°c for about 25 minutes until the pasta is cooked and the cheese topping is slightly browned.
Notes
- The dough does not require parboiling if sufficient sauce is used, as the pasta cooks within the sauce.
- Adding extra tomato sauce is advised when using dried pasta tubes to ensure proper cooking and moisture.
- The recipe yields enough cannelloni for six people as a starter or four as a main dish.
- Rolling pasta sheets through a pasta machine starting at the widest setting and gradually reducing thickness is recommended until sheets are thin enough to see fingers through.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
745kcal
(37%)
Carbohydrates
73g
(24%)
Protein
33g
(66%)
Fat
36g
(55%)
Saturated Fat
14g
(70%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
3g
(18%)
Monounsaturated Fat
15g
(75%)
Trans Fat
1g
(50%)
Cholesterol
190mg
(63%)
Sodium
834mg
(35%)
Potassium
743mg
(16%)
Fiber
5g
(20%)
Sugar
5g
(10%)
Vitamin A
844IU
(17%)
Vitamin C
9mg
(10%)
Calcium
366mg
(37%)
Iron
7mg
(39%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 6Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 745 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 745kcal | 37% |
| Carbohydrates | 73g | 24% |
| Protein | 33g | 66% |
| Fat | 36g | 55% |
| Saturated Fat | 14g | 70% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 3g | 18% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 15g | 75% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 190mg | 63% |
| Sodium | 834mg | 35% |
| Potassium | 743mg | 16% |
| Fiber | 5g | 20% |
| Sugar | 5g | 10% |
| Vitamin A | 844IU | 17% |
| Vitamin C | 9mg | 10% |
| Calcium | 366mg | 37% |
| Iron | 7mg | 39% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
74 reviews
Excellent
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