my photos are lame, but i think that it helps to see pictures. i have never made this before but i am pleased with how it turned out. 3 steps to this dish - not a quick meal but worth it. about 1 hour of prep/cook time.
HOMEMADE PASTA
3 large eggs
1 c semolina flour
1 c all purpose flour
1T sea salt
2T of extra virgin olive oil (i used the basil infused oil i made)
water
DIRECTIONS
add all the ingredients to the food processor and pulse - slowly stream in h2o till a ball forms & it all sticks together. let the dough rest for 30 minutes (more if you have the time) it lets the gluten relax. roll into a ball till smooth. then portion out to 4 pieces, as seen in the photo. after you portion out roll with rolling pin - or pasta roller. for cannelloni i just roll by hand instead of dirtying another piece of equipment. i also like the nice organic shape of the hand rolled pasta, i do not trim the edges either. i like the rustic look. after all of the pieces are rolled out, place in well salted boiling water & cook until it floats to the top. i placed 1-2 pieces in at a time. after they cook lay them flat on a cooking sheet. they did not stick together for me but if they do, brush with a little extra virgin olive oil.
TOMATO SAUCE (gravy according to my grandma jean)
not my typical pasta sauce - but great for this dish
28 oz can of organic diced tomatoes in juice (do not drain) san marzano tomatoes are delish
28 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes in juice (do not drain)
2T tomato paste
2T garlic paste
salt and pepper to taste
garlic powder ( you can sauté fresh garlic, but too much bothers me)
DIRECTIONS
add all the ingredients into a pan & cook for 20 minutes on medium to high. then transfer to the food processor and pulse till smooth. i had just grated a block of pecorino romano & purposely left some in there before i added the sauce mixture to add a nice texture and smooth velvety mild taste to the simple sauce.
SPINACH & GROUND BEEF FILLING
1 lb organic ground beef 85/15 (bison or ground turkey)
2 garlic cloves
1 medium sweet onion
3-4 c of organic baby spinach
1 c pecorino romano
16 oz small curd low fat cottage cheese (i used this instead of ricotta to save some calories)
salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
sauté garlic and onions in a little olive oil at medium heat, add ground beef and cook until done. add in spinach until it is all wilted, lower the heat and let the flavors come together & hang out. transfer the mixture to a bowl with tongs or a slatted spoon so that all the grease does not transfer over. add the cottage cheese & pecorino. combine all the ingredients for assembly.
ASSEMBLY
place a good amount of filling on each cooked piece of cannelloni & roll
ladle sauce in the bottom of a 11x7 rectangle pan & place the rolled pasta
fill the pan with the rolls of cannelloni
add more sauce on top
once all the cannelloni is covered in sauce top with mozzarella & bake at 350 until bubbly
enjoy!
