Cannelloni with Chicken or Veal & Spinach

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 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 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. Set aside until ready to fill the pasta sheets.

 

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 tomato 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!!

 

Tomato Sauce:

2 large cans plum tomatoes, you have broken up with your hands or I now use

crushed tomatoes, the ones not in tomato puree

3 tablespoons EVO

2 medium onions diced

3 cloves garlic minced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon sugar

¼ cup fresh basil

Sauté onions in EVO until clear and tender. Add all other ingredients and simmer for 30 – 60 minutes.  Put the cooled sauce through a food mill.  I don’t always so this step, specially if I am using crushed tomatoes!