Cannelloni with Chicken or Veal, Spinach & Cream Sauce

Fresh Pasta Sheets- cut about 4” x 6”

¼ cup Parmesan cheese for topping

Filling:

½ bag or more finely diced baby spinach, place in metal strainer dip into boiling water and drain well or 6 ounces thawed & squeezed frozen spinach, cooked in the microwave for 1 minute and cooled

¾ pound chicken breast meat or veal

2 ounces pancetta

1 medium onion, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon EVO

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 eggs

½ cup heavy cream

Salt & pepper

1/8 teaspoon fresh nutmeg

In a food processor pulse the chicken, pancetta and onions 2-3 times scrapping as you go. In a large sauté pan or skillet heat the olive oil and add the chicken mixture. Cook until starting to brown about 8 minutes.  Remove from the heat and add spinach and cheese, mixing well.  Beat together cream and eggs and stir them into the pan. 

In a large pot of salted boiling water cook a few pasta sheets at a time for about 3 minutes. Run them in cold water and drain on a cotton dish towel, DO NOT OVERLAP THEM! Spoon some filling on one end of each shell and roll them up and place them in a butter baking dish.  Pour the cream sauce over the cannelloni rolls, sprinkle with the ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese and bake in a 350-degree oven for about 30 minutes until bubbling and browned.  ** If you prepare this ahead of time and it is cold it will take longer to cook.  This freezes well!!

Cheese Sauce

3 cups milk

1 cup cream or half & half

6 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup flour

Fresh nutmeg

Salt & pepper

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Melt the butter in a large pot and whisk in the flour, cooking for 2-3 minutes.  While whisking slowly pour in the hot milk and cream. Continue whisking and cooking until sauce starts to boil and thickens.  Add the nutmeg, salt,  pepper and cook for 1 minute more. Now whisk in the cheese and remove from the heat.   

Cannelloni with a cheese sauce instead of tomato is heavenly!!  I usually make on half the recipe with tomato sauce topping and the other with cheese sauce topping.  I have also done it some cheese sauce on the bottom of the pan and then the tomato over the top – this is really yummy too!