Cannelloni Alla Sorrentina – Stuffed Pasta, Sorrentine Style

To celebrate this week’s food tour to Campania, we are posting a classic recipe from Sorrentina. The southern Italian region of Campania has much to offer food lovers:
Pepperonico and buffalo mozzarella reign as kings, fresh seafood is abundant and the pizza is the best in the world. Campania is home to the gorgeous Sorrento Peninsula and below is one of the most popular recipes for Cannelloni Alla Sorrentina.

You’ll need:

1/2 cup olive oil

*1 clove garlic, chopped

*4 anchovy fillets, chopped

3/4 lb cubed lean beef or pork *400g minced beef and pork

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 2/3 cups tomato paste

1/4 cup shredded basil

2 cups ricotta

6oz fior di latte cheese, cubed *170g

*50g baby spinach, chopped

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

12 squares fresh pasta 5-6 inches to a side.(* I used the fresh lasagne sheets)

Salt

Preheat the oven to 400F (*200C). Heat the oil in a large pan and add the garlic, onion and anchovies.  Then add the meat. Cook until the meat is browned and the onion is golden.  Pour in the wine and let it evaporate, then add the tomato paste, a pinch of salt and basil.  Add 1 cup of water and cook until the meat has broken down nearly to a paste (if you use mince, it will take less time then cubed meat).  Remove from heat and add the ricotta, fior di latte, baby spinach and a little parmigiano-reggiano. Cook the pasta squares a few at a time in lightly salted boiling water, removing them from the water when they rise to the surface and aligning them on a counter top (preferably marble) dampened with cold water (*You don’t need to pre cook if you use the fresh lasagne sheets that are ready to go).  Put a tablespoon of the meat and ricotta filling across the centre of each square and roll them up to form cannelloni.  Spoon some of the meat sauce in the bottom of a rectangular baking dish, then align the cannelloni in the dish in a single layer.  Cover the cannelloni with more sauce, sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano, and bake for 15-20 mins until the sauce is boiling.

Remove from the oven and garnish with parsley.

Makes 12.