KValley
06-10-2003, 02:01 PM
Hi Alysha,
I'm making that gorgeous-sounding Cannelloni with Spinach, Goat Cheese, Walnuts, and Roasted Garlic-Tomato Sauce for friends tomorrow night- I was just about to prepare the sauce (doubling it, per your recommendation).
Here's my question: You wrote that you used store-bought manicotti in place of making your own cannelloni, which is my plan as well. Did you stuff the manicotti uncooked and bake as directed, or did you cook the manicotti first?
Or anyone else who knows their way around the business end of manicotti, feel free to chime in. Just don't tell me not to put sugar in my sauce. Wasn't planning on it, anyway :p
Here's the recipe:
CANNELLONI WITH SPINACH, GOAT CHEESE, WALNUTS AND ROASTED GARLIC-TOMATO SAUCE
NOTE: I recommend doubling the sauce with this recipe. I also used boxed manicotti instead of cannelloni - both to cut down on time and because I couldn't find boxed cannelloni.
Roasted Garlic-Tomato Sauce:
1 head garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 pounds fresh tomatoes, peeled and seeded, about 3 cups, or 3 cups canned tomatoes with juice
1/2 small onion, diced, about 1/2 cup
salt and pepper
1/4 cup dry sherry
1 bay leaf
The Filling:
1 1/2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium red onion, diced, about 1 cup
salt and pepper
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large bunches of spinach, stems removed and leaves washed, about 16 cups
3/4 teaspoon minced lemon zest
1/3 cup walnut pieces, roasted
1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as marjoram, thyme, chives, and parsley
1/2 pound ricotta cheese, about 2/3 cup
1 egg, beaten
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated, about 2/3 cup
2 ounces Montrachet cheese, or other creamy, mild goat cheese
2 fresh pasta sheets, about 10 ounces
1. THE SAUCE: Preheat the oven to 375º. Rub the garlic with a little olive oil, place it on a baking sheet and roast until very soft, 30 to 35 minutes. When garlic is cool, slice off the top of the bulb and squeeze the cloves out of the skin. Puree them with the tomatoes in a blender or food processor.
2. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan and add the onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a few pinches of pepper; sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes. When the onion is soft, add the sherry and bay leaf and simmer for 1 or 2 minutes, until pan is nearly dry. Add the tomato-garlic puree and 1/4 teaspoon salt and simmer, uncovered, over low heat for 30 minutes. (TIP: Add up to 1 teaspoon sugar after simmering sauce to balance the flavor if the sauce is acidic)
3. THE FILLING: Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onions, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a few pinches of pepper; sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the onions begin to release their juices. Add half the garlic and sauté until the onions are soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer onions to a bowl.
4. Heat the remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet and quickly wilt the spinach over medium-high heat with 1/2 teaspoon salt, a few pinches of pepper, and the remaining garlic. Remove the spinach from the heat, drain, and cool. Squeeze out the excess moisture a handful at a time, then coarsely chop.
5. Add the spinach to the onions along with the lemon zest and walnuts. Set aside half the fresh herbs to sprinkle on top after baking and add the rest to the spinach-onion mixture.
6. Place the ricotta in a bowl and stir in the egg. Set aside half the Parmesan cheese to sprinkle over the cannelloni; add the rest to the ricotta with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Combine the spinach and onions with the ricotta mixture, then crumble in the goat cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. ASSEMBLING THE CANNELLONI: Cut the pasta sheets into 12 4-inch squares (or comparable size to accomodate the size of the pasta sheets).
8. Preheat the oven to 350º. Lay the pasta squares on a work surface and spread 1/4 cup of the filling along the edge of each square. Roll loosely; the filling will expand during baking.
9. Ladle 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce into the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Place the cannelloni close together in the dish, seam side down, and ladle the remaining sauce over them. Use a pastry brush to spread the sauce evenly, particularly on the ends, making sure the pasta is covered with sauce.
10. Cover and bake for 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle the cannelloni with the reserved Parmesan and fresh herbs just before serving.
I'm making that gorgeous-sounding Cannelloni with Spinach, Goat Cheese, Walnuts, and Roasted Garlic-Tomato Sauce for friends tomorrow night- I was just about to prepare the sauce (doubling it, per your recommendation).
Here's my question: You wrote that you used store-bought manicotti in place of making your own cannelloni, which is my plan as well. Did you stuff the manicotti uncooked and bake as directed, or did you cook the manicotti first?
Or anyone else who knows their way around the business end of manicotti, feel free to chime in. Just don't tell me not to put sugar in my sauce. Wasn't planning on it, anyway :p
Here's the recipe:
CANNELLONI WITH SPINACH, GOAT CHEESE, WALNUTS AND ROASTED GARLIC-TOMATO SAUCE
NOTE: I recommend doubling the sauce with this recipe. I also used boxed manicotti instead of cannelloni - both to cut down on time and because I couldn't find boxed cannelloni.
Roasted Garlic-Tomato Sauce:
1 head garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 pounds fresh tomatoes, peeled and seeded, about 3 cups, or 3 cups canned tomatoes with juice
1/2 small onion, diced, about 1/2 cup
salt and pepper
1/4 cup dry sherry
1 bay leaf
The Filling:
1 1/2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium red onion, diced, about 1 cup
salt and pepper
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large bunches of spinach, stems removed and leaves washed, about 16 cups
3/4 teaspoon minced lemon zest
1/3 cup walnut pieces, roasted
1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as marjoram, thyme, chives, and parsley
1/2 pound ricotta cheese, about 2/3 cup
1 egg, beaten
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated, about 2/3 cup
2 ounces Montrachet cheese, or other creamy, mild goat cheese
2 fresh pasta sheets, about 10 ounces
1. THE SAUCE: Preheat the oven to 375º. Rub the garlic with a little olive oil, place it on a baking sheet and roast until very soft, 30 to 35 minutes. When garlic is cool, slice off the top of the bulb and squeeze the cloves out of the skin. Puree them with the tomatoes in a blender or food processor.
2. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan and add the onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a few pinches of pepper; sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes. When the onion is soft, add the sherry and bay leaf and simmer for 1 or 2 minutes, until pan is nearly dry. Add the tomato-garlic puree and 1/4 teaspoon salt and simmer, uncovered, over low heat for 30 minutes. (TIP: Add up to 1 teaspoon sugar after simmering sauce to balance the flavor if the sauce is acidic)
3. THE FILLING: Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onions, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a few pinches of pepper; sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the onions begin to release their juices. Add half the garlic and sauté until the onions are soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer onions to a bowl.
4. Heat the remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet and quickly wilt the spinach over medium-high heat with 1/2 teaspoon salt, a few pinches of pepper, and the remaining garlic. Remove the spinach from the heat, drain, and cool. Squeeze out the excess moisture a handful at a time, then coarsely chop.
5. Add the spinach to the onions along with the lemon zest and walnuts. Set aside half the fresh herbs to sprinkle on top after baking and add the rest to the spinach-onion mixture.
6. Place the ricotta in a bowl and stir in the egg. Set aside half the Parmesan cheese to sprinkle over the cannelloni; add the rest to the ricotta with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Combine the spinach and onions with the ricotta mixture, then crumble in the goat cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. ASSEMBLING THE CANNELLONI: Cut the pasta sheets into 12 4-inch squares (or comparable size to accomodate the size of the pasta sheets).
8. Preheat the oven to 350º. Lay the pasta squares on a work surface and spread 1/4 cup of the filling along the edge of each square. Roll loosely; the filling will expand during baking.
9. Ladle 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce into the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Place the cannelloni close together in the dish, seam side down, and ladle the remaining sauce over them. Use a pastry brush to spread the sauce evenly, particularly on the ends, making sure the pasta is covered with sauce.
10. Cover and bake for 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle the cannelloni with the reserved Parmesan and fresh herbs just before serving.