Herbed Cannelloni with Prosciutto & Artichoke Hearts
Serves 4-6
This is a delicious stuffed pasta baked in a simple tomato sauce with a bit of cheese on top — very tasty, and both lighter and more interesting than it looks.
If you have a KitchenAid stand mixer and any interest in making homemade pasta, I think you’ll find their pasta-rolling attachment well worth the money. Fresh pasta has a feathery, silken quality that is unlike anything else — much like the pride you’ll feel serving pasta you made yourself.
Ingredients #
For the sauce: #
- 2 cups finely chopped onion
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 28-oz can San Marzano tomatoes, chopped, with their juices
For the filling: #
- 1/2 lb whole milk ricotta
- 1/2 lb whole milk mozzarella, grated
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 1 6-oz jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained (with liquid reserved) and chopped
- 1/4 lb thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
- Extra grated Parmesan and mozzarella, for topping
- Herbed Pasta Dough (recipe below)
Instructions #
Make the sauce #
In a saucepan over medium-low heat, cook the onion in the oil until softened. Add the garlic and cook the mixture for another 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices and simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Using an immersion blender or a food processor, puree the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and keep warm.
Make the filling #
In a bowl, combine well the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, artichoke hearts, a few tablespoons of the reserved marinade, the prosciutto, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Knead and roll the pasta dough according to the instructions for your machine. Cut the finished dough into 4” squares and let them dry on a lightly floured surface for 10 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 400 F.
In a large kettle of boiling salted water, cook the pasta squares for 4 minutes. Drain them in a colander and place them in a bowl of cool water to hold until you finish them all.
Spread 1/3 of the tomato sauce over the bottom of a shallow baking dish.
Dry each pasta square and mound 3 tbsp of filling down the center, spreading it almost to the edges. Roll up the pasta like a little jelly roll to enclose the filling. Arrange the cannelloni seam-side down on the sauce in a single layer in the baking dish. Spread the remaining sauce over them and sprinkle a handful of mozzarella and Parmesan across the top.
Bake for 30 minutes or so, until heated through and bubbling. Allow to rest for 10-15 minutes, and then serve.
Herbed Pasta Dough #
1 cup flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp finely minced fresh chives
1 tbsp finely minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tbsp minced fresh rosemary
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp water
In a food processor, blend all ingredients until the mixture just begins to form a ball, adding more water by drops if the dough is too dry. Pasta dough should be firm and not sticky. Blend the dough for 15 seconds more to knead it. Wrap the dough in cling-wrap and let it rest for an hour (or up to 4 hours in the refrigerator). Makes 1/2 lb.