Cannelloni Two Ways Spinach Ricotta Beef Ragu Recipes

SPINACH & RICOTTA CANNELLONI

Steps:

• First make the tomato sauce. Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the garlic for 1 min. Add the sugar, vinegar, tomatoes and some seasoning and simmer for 20 mins, stirring occasionally, until thick. Add the basil and divide the sauce between 2 or more shallow ovenproof dishes (see Tips for freezing, below). Set aside. Make a sauce by beating the mascarpone with the milk until smooth, season, then set aside.
• Put the spinach in a large colander and pour over a kettle of boiling water to wilt it (you may need to do this in batches). When cool enough to handle squeeze out the excess water. Roughly chop the spinach and mix in a large bowl with 100g Parmesan and ricotta. Season well with salt, pepper and the nutmeg.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Using a piping bag or plastic food bag with the corner snipped off, squeeze the filling into the cannelloni tubes. Lay the tubes, side by side, on top of the tomato sauce and spoon over the mascarpone sauce. Top with Parmesan and mozzarella. You can now freeze the cannelloni, uncooked, or you can cook it first and then freeze. Bake for 30-35 mins until golden and bubbling. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 mins before serving.

SPINACH RICOTTA CANNELLONI

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and onion, cook for 2 - 3 minutes until translucent. Add tomato, water, salt and pepper.
• Stir, reduce heat to medium, simmer for 5 minutes. Optional: add 1/2 cup water and blend sauce until smooth (I do this for guests!).
• Stir through basil or dried herbs. Set aside.
• Place spinach in a colander and press out most of the liquid (don't need to thoroughly squeeze dry).
• Place Spinach in bowl with remaining Filling ingredients. Mix, taste, adjust salt and pepper to taste (different cheeses have different saltiness).
• Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
• Choose a baking pan which will comfortably fit about 20 cannelloni - mine is 21 x 26 cm / 8.5 x 10.5".
• Spread a bit of Sauce on the base.
• Transfer Filling to a piping bag with a large nozzle (that fits in the tubes), or use a strong ziplock bag. Or do this step using a knife (it's a bit tedious though!).
• Pipe the filling into the tubes. Place in baking dish.
• Pour over remaining Sauce, covering all the tubes. Cover with foil, then bake for 25 minutes.
• Remove foil, scatter over cheese. Return to oven for 10 minutes until cheese is melted.
• Serve, garnished with extra basil if desired.

CANNELLONI TWO WAYS (SPINACH RICOTTA & BEEF RAGU)

Steps:

• Make the beef ragu first, it's the longest step:.
• Heat the oil over a medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme and bay leaf and sauté for a further 5 minutes until the onions and garlic are soft but not browned.
• Add the ground beef and sauté for 5 minutes until the beef is almost cooked through but still a bit pink. Stir in the red wine. Add the tomatoes with their juices and bring to a gentle simmer uncovered over medium to low heat, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. Sauce should thicken. Remove bay leaf and thyme sprig and season to taste. Allow the ragu to cool before rolling it up in the lasagna sheets.
• Next make the tomato sauce:.
• Heat the oil over a medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes or until tender. Add the thyme and bay leaf.
• Add the white wine and tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Simmer uncovered over a medium to low heat, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour or until the tomatoes break down to form a chunky sauce (you may need to add a little water during the cooking process if the sauce thickens too much). Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
• To make the spinach filling:.
• If you're using fresh spinach: rinse, drain, and do a quick blanch and squeeze out as much water as you can. If you're using frozen, just thaw and squeeze.
• In a large bowl, whisk the egg. Add ricotta cheese, spinach, cheese of your choice and fold it all in until well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Stick in refrigerator for now.
• To make the béchamel sauce:.
• Melt the butter over medium to low heat. Add the flour and stir until thick. Slowly add the milk and stir constantly until the sauce is smooth. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes or until the sauce is smooth and thick. Season the sauce to taste with a little nutmeg, salt and pepper.
• Now to assemble the cannelloni:.
• Bring a large sauce pan of salt water to a boil. Working in batches, add the lasagna sheets and cook until the sheets soften slightly (time will depend on what type you use).
• Transfer the lasagna sheets to a clean surface and let cool slightly.
• Preheat the oven to 425°F
• Spoon the tomato sauce over a 13x9" baking dish, covering the bottom. This is your base layer.
• Lay one lasagna sheet on a work surface. Spoon about 1/2 cup of the beef ragu or spinach filling over one end of the lasagna sheet. Roll up the lasagna sheet and place the cannelloni seam side down over the tomato sauce. Repeat with the remaining lasagna sheets and filling, forming 8 cannelloni total.
• Top with a thick layer of the béchamel sauce to coat the cannelloni completely. Top with parmesan cheese, creating a good layer of cheese over the sauce. Sprinkle some basil or thyme over the beef cannelloni to distinguish them from the spinach ones. Bake for 30 minutes or until the sauce bubbles and the cheese crusts/browns. Let the cannelloni stand for 10 minutes and serve.

RAVIOLI BEEF RAGU

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook beef and onion until no longer pink, drain.
• Add tomatoes, broth, wine, tomato paste rosemary, sugar, garlic, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, uncovered.
• Cook ravioli according to directions and drain. Top with meat sauce and sprinkle with cheese.