Italian food is great, but it’s even better when you can learn dishes aside from spaghetti or lasagna. If you’re in that boat, try making Cannelloni with ricotta and summer savory filling. You can make enough to serve a moderately-sized family with recipe. It can be a bit involved but it isn’t that hard to make. Let’s get started.
First, you need to make the filling. Here’s how:
Ingredients
· 2 tablespoons of olive oil
· 2 onions, minced
· 2 cups of ricotta cheese
· 1 cup of cooked squash
· 2 tablespoons of summer savory
· Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1. In a saucepan, heat the oil over moderate heat and cook the onions until soft. This should take about 2 minutes.
2. Add the ricotta cheese, squash, savory, salt and pepper.
Next, you will need to make the sauce:
Ingredients
· 2 tablespoons of butter
· 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour
· Cooking liquid from squash
· 1 cup of milk
· 1 tablespoon of finely chopped summer savory
· Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1. In a second saucepan, melt the butter and sprinkle with flour.
2. Stir for two minutes. Add cooking liquid, milk, savory, salt and pepper.
How to Make Squash Pasta Dough
Ingredients
· 1 cup of cooked butternut squash
· 2 eggs
· 2 tablespoons of olive oil
· 1 teaspoon of salt
· 2 ½ cups of all purpose flour
Directions
1. Use a food processor to combine the squash, eggs, oil and salt.
2. Add flour until the dough becomes a ball. Knead for 2 to 3 minutes and chill for 1 hour.
How to Make Cannelloni
1. Roll the dough out to desired thickness then cut into 5 inch squares.
2. Divide among the squares and fold into tube shapes
3. Grease a baking dish and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.
All told the recipe might take a few hours to make. While this is a longer preparation time than simpler meals, the best meals are worth waiting for. And when to have this? Special occasions are always a good time to unleash this recipe. That could mean Valentine’s Day or an anniversary. If you’re trying to impress someone—especially if that someone adores Italian food—there’s no reason not to give this recipe a whirl.
Enjoy a meal like this with a glass of red wine, some freshly baked rolls, Italian bread or garlic bread. While it isn’t typical of a weekday meal, consider making it on the weekend for an extra special treat. And now that you know the basics, you’re ready to make some amazing cannelloni! Good luck!
Derek Clendening - I'm a freelance writer and have combined writing with my love of football. I'm very opinionated about football, which you can learn more ...
