An easy way to make a canneloni recipe zing is to use a fresh spinach and black olive lasagna sheet and roll up your own cannelloni rolls. Make the most of your homemade fresh pasta recipe with this simple but exquisite vegetarian pasta bake. Organic leeks are not essential but as with any other dish organic vegetables make all the difference. If you are making this recipe for carnivores you can add some smoked ham such as Proscuitto. Over the years the classic French and Italian chefs have all claimed to have invented the classic Béchamel Sauce and I have to confess that it is impossible to prove one way or the other but at the end of the day "Who cares?" the roux is easy to make and once enriched with cream and egg yolk and nutmeg it will judged perfect.
Homemade Leek Cannelloni with Provolone Cheese
Ingredients
The leeks
4 organic leeks
Handful of lemon thyme
2 cloves of garlic
Sea Salt
Black pepper
Ricotta cheese
The tomato gastrique
Large onion or two shallots
2 cloves of garlic peeled and finely chopped
Tin of Italian Peeled Tomatoes
2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon of salt
The Classic Béchamel Sauce
40 g flour
40 g butter
1/2 an onion
2 cloves
1 bayleaf
Freshly grated nutmeg
290ml/½ pint milk
Dash of heavy cream
1 Organic egg yolk
Provolone Cheese to taste.
Homemade Spinach and Olive Pasta
2 large organic eggs
10 Ounces (300g) fresh spinach, rinsed dry, and finely chopped;
OR 6 Ounces (170g) frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed completely dry
400g unbleached organic stone ground flour
Method
To make the pasta
Make a large mound of flour on your work surface and make a well in the centre with your hand. Finely chop the spinach and olives and beat in the eggs, and then pour into the well of the flour on the work surface. Work the flour into the centre with your hands; it is a thankless messy task, but the best way of making pasta. When the dough comes together, knead it loosely for about three to four minutes. It should be sticky, but still elastic. Continue kneading by hand until the dough becomes satiny and elastic do not attempt to cut this step because it is one of the most important steps.
For the leeks
Fry the 4 leek in butter add lemon thyme and crush 2 cloves of garlic. Add a small amount of water, sea salt and black pepper. Chill and add the ricotta to taste.
Make a concentrated tomato sauce to go underneath the cannelloni. Sauté a large onion or two shallots and garlic in olive oil, add a tin of chopped Italian tomatoes, reduce it right down then make a gastrique. Put two tablespoons of vinegar in a pan with a teaspoon of sugar, boil it down to an essence then add salt and black pepper. Add to the tomatoes and it gives them a real lift and takes them to the next level.
Make a simple classic béchamel sauce by boiling milk with half an onion studded with cloves, 2 bay leaves, a few peppercorns then simmer, but don't let it boil. In another saucepan make a roux of butter and flour, then pour the sieved milk into the roux and whisk briskly to make a smooth sauce. Add a bit of cream and some grated provolone, a cows milk cheese from Southern Italy add an egg yolk to make it brown.
To assemble the dish
Pour the tomato gastrique into a dish. Roll out the pasta by hand or with a pasta machine and cut the dough into cannelloni tubes. Then add a tablespoon of the leek and ricotta filling and roll up the tube, place over the tomato. Top with the Béchamel Sauce and add the nutmeg and sprinkle the cheese bake 200 degrees centigrade for half an hour until the top is golden.
Homemade Leek Cannelloni with Provolone Cheese
Ingredients
The leeks
4 organic leeks
Handful of lemon thyme
2 cloves of garlic
Sea Salt
Black pepper
Ricotta cheese
The tomato gastrique
Large onion or two shallots
2 cloves of garlic peeled and finely chopped
Tin of Italian Peeled Tomatoes
2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon of salt
The Classic Béchamel Sauce
40 g flour
40 g butter
1/2 an onion
2 cloves
1 bayleaf
Freshly grated nutmeg
290ml/½ pint milk
Dash of heavy cream
1 Organic egg yolk
Provolone Cheese to taste.
Homemade Spinach and Olive Pasta
2 large organic eggs
10 Ounces (300g) fresh spinach, rinsed dry, and finely chopped;
OR 6 Ounces (170g) frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed completely dry
400g unbleached organic stone ground flour
Method
To make the pasta
Make a large mound of flour on your work surface and make a well in the centre with your hand. Finely chop the spinach and olives and beat in the eggs, and then pour into the well of the flour on the work surface. Work the flour into the centre with your hands; it is a thankless messy task, but the best way of making pasta. When the dough comes together, knead it loosely for about three to four minutes. It should be sticky, but still elastic. Continue kneading by hand until the dough becomes satiny and elastic do not attempt to cut this step because it is one of the most important steps.
For the leeks
Fry the 4 leek in butter add lemon thyme and crush 2 cloves of garlic. Add a small amount of water, sea salt and black pepper. Chill and add the ricotta to taste.
Make a concentrated tomato sauce to go underneath the cannelloni. Sauté a large onion or two shallots and garlic in olive oil, add a tin of chopped Italian tomatoes, reduce it right down then make a gastrique. Put two tablespoons of vinegar in a pan with a teaspoon of sugar, boil it down to an essence then add salt and black pepper. Add to the tomatoes and it gives them a real lift and takes them to the next level.
Make a simple classic béchamel sauce by boiling milk with half an onion studded with cloves, 2 bay leaves, a few peppercorns then simmer, but don't let it boil. In another saucepan make a roux of butter and flour, then pour the sieved milk into the roux and whisk briskly to make a smooth sauce. Add a bit of cream and some grated provolone, a cows milk cheese from Southern Italy add an egg yolk to make it brown.
To assemble the dish
Pour the tomato gastrique into a dish. Roll out the pasta by hand or with a pasta machine and cut the dough into cannelloni tubes. Then add a tablespoon of the leek and ricotta filling and roll up the tube, place over the tomato. Top with the Béchamel Sauce and add the nutmeg and sprinkle the cheese bake 200 degrees centigrade for half an hour until the top is golden.
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