Cannelloni di Spinaci

Preparation Stage

Chef Francesco Lucatorto of Ceci’s Gastronomia | Los Angeles, CA

Adapted by StarChefs
Yield: 4 servings

This is a baked pasta dish that’s very laborious—it’s one that my grandmother loved to make with me in my childhood. We can never take it off the menu, even in the summer. Cannelloni is a traditional pasta from Emilia-Romagna, and my nonna, being married to a Southern Italian sailor, needed to add a punch to the recipe. She decided to add Pecorino Romano PDO for a salty, cheesy kick that my grandfather (and all of us) loved growing up.

METHOD

For the Filling: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch spinach, then immediately shock in an ice bath and let cool.

Squeeze out excess water and transfer to a cutting board. Chop, then transfer to a mixing bowl. Add ricotta, Pecorino Romano PDO, olive oil, and marjoram. Season with salt and nutmeg. Add eggs, one at a time, whisking after each addition. Season with pepper. Transfer to a piping bag and refrigerate.

For the Pasta: In a mixing bowl, combine flours, eggs, and olive oil until dough comes together. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface and knead until dough is smooth and elastic. Let sit at room temperature. In a pot over medium-high heat, bring salted water to a boil. Using a pasta sheeter, stretch dough to the thinnest setting.

Transfer to a lightly floured work surface and cut into 3 inch-by-4 inch rectangles. Add to boiling water and cook 3 minutes. Shock in ice bath to stop cooking. Pat dry and set aside.

For the Besciamella: In a pot over medium heat, add milk. Season with salt and nutmeg. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and keep warm.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add flour and cook 10 minutes, whisking constantly. Add roux to the milk mixture, whisking constantly. Bring to a simmer and cook until a custard-like consistency is achieved. Remove from heat and stir in Pecorino Romano PDO. Set aside.

To Assemble and Serve: Heat oven to 375°F. Place Pasta on a work surface. Pipe Filling onto each rectangle, along the shorter side. Roll Pasta into tubes. Set aside. Spread generous amount Besciamella into the bottom of a 13-inch baking dish. Top with rolled Pasta, making sure there are no gaps between each tube. Cover with Besciamella. Top with grated Pecorino Romano PDO. Bake 25 minutes, or until a bubbly, golden brown surface is achieved.