Homemade Cannelloni from Abruzzo (cannelloni all’abruzzese)

Servings

Font

Images Notes Nutrition

5 from 74 votes

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.

Prep Time

1 hr

Cook Time

30 mins

Servings: 6

Calories: 745 kcal

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean, Italian

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 pork
400 g ground lamb
400 g ground beef or just 2 types of ground meat, mixed, 14oz
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

Cup of Yum

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

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: 6 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 745

% 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.