This is wonderfully delicious and easy to make in advance. A fine variation is to add some spinach to the ricotta stuffing. You can also substitute prosciutto for regular ham.
Difficulty: Medium
Hands-on: 30 minutes
Total: 1 hour
Serves: 6
Ingredients
4 large eggs, divided
1½ tsp. salt, divided
1 tsp. ground white pepper, divided
1 cup whole milk
1 cup Italian chestnut flour
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cup ricotta cheese
¼ tsp. nutmeg
½ cup smoked ham, thinly sliced and shredded
½ cup chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 small shallots, peeled and minced
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 cup dry white wine
½ cup chicken broth
10 fresh sage leaves, chopped
Directions
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a medium baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Step 2
Place 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, milk, and chestnut flour in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Pour ⅓ cup batter into the hot pan, moving the pan around in circles to evenly spread the batter.
Step 3
Fry for 2–3 minutes per side; don’t over- or undercook or the pasta will tear. Repeat with remaining vegetable oil and batter. Stack on sheets of waxed paper and set aside.
Step 4
In a large bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, 2 eggs, nutmeg, ham, parsley, basil and ½ cup Parmesan cheese. Lay out 1 sheet of pasta and spread 1 tablespoon of ricotta mixture across one edge. Carefully roll the pasta into a tube and place in baking dish. Repeat with remaining pasta and filling. Set aside.
Step 5
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté the shallots and mushrooms for 2–3 minutes. Add the cornstarch and stir until thickened, about 5 minutes. Blend in the wine, broth, sage, and remaining salt and pepper. Pour over the cannelloni and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 minutes.
