This week the Nelson Grocer is talking Italian! This blog article comes from local chef and Guest Blogger, Grant Dicker – Find Grant on Facebook.
As the weather cools, we look forward to rich, savoury, delicious meals. Comfort food to warm the soul, and tempt the taste buds! I love good, honest Italian food and Cannelloni is one of my favourites. It takes advantage of the wonderful Fresh Choice tomatoes I’ve bottled in the late summer and combines them with all the flavours and ingredients of a great Italian dish.
Here’s a recipe to try, allow a little preparation time but it’s well worth it!
- 1/2 cup olive oil +/-
- 500 gm beef mince
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
- 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary salt
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
- 340 gm mozzarella cheese, cubed
Tomato sauce:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 2 cans stewed tomatoes
- Salt/Pepper to taste
- 12 cannelloni tubes
In a large skillet over medium heat, warm oil and saute mince with onion, sage and rosemary. Drain fat. Add salt and 1/2 cup white wine; cook until wine evaporates. Set aside.
Bechamel: Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir until mixture thickens. Remove sauce from heat. Add flour and stir until well incorporated. Stir in milk and bring to slow boil until mixture thickens. Remove sauce from heat. In a steady stream pour bechamel into beaten egg yolks, whisking constantly. Stir sauce into meat. Stir in cubed mozzarella.
In a medium saucepan over a gentle heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter and saute onion until translucent. Add 1/2 cup white wine and let it reduce; add tomatoes and salt. Mix well; simmer for 15 minutes.
Boil a large pot of salted water. Add pasta and cook until al dente; using a slotted spoon, remove to a pot filled with cold water. Lift pasta out and arrange on a flat surface.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Lightly grease a baking dish.
Spoon a line of filling into each shell, starting from one end and using your finger to push the filling inside. Place cannelloni in baking dish and cover with tomato sauce mixture.
Bake until heated through, allow to stand, serve, enjoy!
