Cannelloni are essentially just sheets of fresh lasagne that are stuffed, rolled into tubes and baked. Cannelloni dishes are popular across Italy these days, but we have the southern region of Campania to thank for their invention. Whilst the idea for stuffed pasta (or macheroni ripieni) has been around since the late 1700s, cannelloni first cropped up in the coastal town of Sorrento in the early 20th century.
In northern Italy, cannelloni is often made with fresh egg pasta and served with a creamy besciamella (bechamel) sauce, like in this classic spinach and ricotta cannelloni recipe. But in the ‘alla Sorrentina’ or Sorrento-style version, the bechamel makes way for a combination of three regional calling-cards: tomato, mozzarella and basil. We’ve chosen to stuff our cannelloni with a vegetarian filling of golden fried aubergine, another popular ingredient in Sorrento’s home region of Campania. We think it’s a suitable ode to the region’s breathtaking beauty and prized produce.
Our aubergine cannelloni recipe
Serves 4
Prep time: 1 hour
Cook time: 45 minutes
Calories per serving: 760kcal
Ingredients
For the pasta:
- 400g semolina or durum wheat flour
- 200g warm water
For the sauce:
- 800g tinned plum tomatoes
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- Handful of fresh basil
- 50ml extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
For the filling:
- 1 large aubergine (roughly 400g), cut into 1cm cubes
- 200g mozzarella, drained and diced
- 50g Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
- 50ml extra virgin olive oil
- Handful of fresh basil
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Method
Step 1: Make your pasta
Read through the steps below, or follow along with Chef Roberta in our video.
- Pile the flour onto a clean surface and make a small well in the centre with your fingers.
- Pour about half of the water into the well, then gradually mix the water and flour together – either with your fingers or a fork.
- Once the mixture starts to dry up, add the rest of the water and continue mixing.
- Once the water is fully mixed in, use your hands to roll the dough into a ball. Knead until it feels sticky and looks a little rough on the outside.
- Wrap the dough in a tea towel or some cling film and let it rest for 15 minutes.
- Once rested, roll your dough out on a floured surface until it’s about the thickness of a 2p coin, then use a sharp knife to cut it into 15x10cm rectangles.
Step 2: Make the sauce
- Put a large, deep saucepan over a low heat, then add the olive oil and gently fry the garlic until fragrant.
- Add the tomatoes, basil and a pinch of salt, breaking the tomatoes up with the back of a wooden spoon as you go. Turn the heat up to medium and let the sauce bubble away for 15 minutes, then check the seasoning and set aside.
- While the sauce is simmering, heat the remaining olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the aubergine and a pinch of salt, then sauté for 10 minutes. Once the aubergine is soft and golden, remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Step 3: Cook your pasta
- Bring a large pan of salted water to a rolling boil and prepare a bowl of cold water nearby.
- Drop a few sheets of pasta at a time into the boiling water and cook for 1 minute, then remove and plunge the sheets into your bowl of cold water for 20 seconds or so.
- Place the cooked sheets in a single layer on a clean tea towel, then repeat the process with the remaining sheets.
Step 4: Assemble and bake
- First, preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6.
- To roll your cannelloni, stuff each sheet with a tablespoon each of aubergine and mozzarella, plus a single basil leaf. Place your filling at the longer edge of each sheet, then roll closed.
- Spread a ladle of your tomato sauce onto a large baking dish, then arrange your cannelloni rolls in a single layer on top.
- Pour over the remaining tomato sauce, then top with the grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
- Bake for 20 minutes, then let your finished dish stand for 10 minutes before serving. Buon appetito!
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