Tuscan kale and white bean cannelloni recipe

Tuscan kale and white bean cannelloni recipe

"Traditionally, cannelloni are filled with cheese, cheese, and more cheese. For me, though, whenever I see a recipe like that I always want to figure out how to get some vegetables into the dish.

Kale and white beans are a classic Tuscan combination, so I added those to the filling to make it more balanced. Don’t worry—there’s still milk and cream and cheese in there, too.

Cannelloni (or manicotti) is very popular in Spain, as it was imported by Italian bricklayers in the nineteenth century. It is seen as a celebratory dish with a decent amount of advance prep, followed by an easy execution.

It’s commonly made for St. Stephen’s Day on December 26 and filled with the treats of Christmas, such ascapon or roast goose. Cannelloni is also affectionately referred to as “big reeds” in Italian."

You don't need a pasta machine to make pasta, but it sure makes things a lot faster.

Ingredients

To make the pasta
  • 5 large eggs
  • 25 ml water, at room temperature
  • 5 tsp cold-pressed, extra virgin olive oil
  • 500 g all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
  • 5 large eggs
  • 0.9 fl oz water, at room temperature
  • 5 tsp cold-pressed, extra virgin olive oil
  • 17.6 oz all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
  • 5 large eggs
  • 0.1 cup water, at room temperature
  • 5 tsp cold-pressed, extra virgin olive oil
  • 17.6 oz all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
For the cannelloni
  • 1 tbsp cold-pressed, extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 1 shallot, finely diced
  • 1 head garlic, peeled and smashed
  • 1 pinch salt and pepper, to taste
  • 210 g chopped kale, thick stems remove
  • 470 ml whole milk
  • 235 ml cream
  • 250 g cooked white beans
  • 75 g grated Parmesan cheese
  • 55 g grated provolone picante
  • 1 tbsp cold-pressed, extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 1 shallot, finely diced
  • 1 head garlic, peeled and smashed
  • 1 pinch salt and pepper, to taste
  • 7.4 oz chopped kale, thick stems remove
  • 16.5 fl oz whole milk
  • 8.3 fl oz cream
  • 8.8 oz cooked white beans
  • 2.6 oz grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1.9 oz grated provolone picante
  • 1 tbsp cold-pressed, extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 1 shallot, finely diced
  • 1 head garlic, peeled and smashed
  • 1 pinch salt and pepper, to taste
  • 7.4 oz chopped kale, thick stems remove
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup cream
  • 8.8 oz cooked white beans
  • 2.6 oz grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1.9 oz grated provolone picante

Details

  • Cuisine: Italian
  • Recipe Type: Main
  • Difficulty: Medium
  • Preparation Time: 60 mins
  • Cooking Time: 15 mins
  • Serves: 4

Step-by-step

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a big bowl, combine the eggs, water, and olive oil and mix well. Add the flour in four parts, mixing well after each addition. Mix or knead the dough until it forms an elastic, pliable ball, about 15 minutes. If the dough is wet and sticky, you can add more flour as needed. (But you can’t add more liquid if it’s too dry, so we always err on the side of wet dough.) The amount of flour you need may vary. Dough can behave differently depending on the weather.
  2. Allow the dough to rest, covered in plastic wrap, in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 48 hours. This step is super important because it allows the wet and dry molecules of the dough to come into contact with one another and allows the dough to become completely hydrated.
  3. Divide the dough into four batches. Set the pasta machine on the thickest setting and feed one batch of dough through the machine. Reduce the noodle setting and feed the dough through again.
  4. Repeat until you reach the second thinnest setting. When you are done, you will have a sheet of dough about 18-inches (45.7 cm) long. Repeat with the three remaining batches of dough. (If you are working with a rolling pin, dust the counter with flour and roll each batch of dough until you have a sheet less than ¼-inch [6 mm] thick.)
  5. Cut the dough into pieces 4-inches (10 cm) long by 2-inches (5 cm) wide. Store them stacked with a piece of parchment between each piece, covered with plastic wrap and a dish towel, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
  6. Fill the large pot with water and season with salt until it tastes like seawater. Bring to a boil over high heat. Working in batches of four or five, cook the pasta sheets for 5 minutes, until softened but not cooked through.
  7. Transfer the blanched pasta sheets to a large bowl of ice and water to cool completely. Reserve ½ cup (120 ml) of the pasta water. Drain the cooled noodles, drizzle lightly with olive oil and toss to coat, and layer between parchment paper.
  8. STOP (IF YOU WANT TO)! You can store the blanched pasta sheets in the refrigerator until dinner or freeze them for up to 4 months for later use.
  9. To make the tomato sauce, combine the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, oregano and olive oil in a food processor and process to your preferred consistency. Transfer the vegetable mix to the saucepan, season with salt and pepper, cover and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  10. Add the tomatoes and cook for an additional 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and add a tied bunch of basil. The basil flavour will steep while the sauce cools. Remove the basil before using.
  11. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4. Heat the 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook until translucent but not browned, about 4 minutes.
  12. Add the kale and a splash of pasta water, season again with salt and pepper, and cook until partially wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the flour, stir, and then add the milk and cream. Stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a boil and cook until reduced by half.
  13. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the white beans and ½ cup (50 g) of the Parmesan. Cool to room temperature. The mixture should be just thick enough to scoop.
  14. Oil the baking dish. To assemble the cannelloni rolls, spread 3 tablespoons of the kale mixture on each pasta sheet. Roll each sheet into a short cylinder. Place the cannelloni, seam down, into the baking dish touching the one beside it.
  15. Cover the cannelloni with the tomato sauce and top with the provolone and remaining 25g of parmesan. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

Recipe taken from Noodle Kids: Around the World in 50 Fun, Healthy, Creative Recipes the Whole Family Can Cook Together by Jonathon Sawyer, published by Quarry Books.

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