Chicken, ricotta and spinach cannelloni

[riv_mum]

Filling

1/2 onion, quartered

1 clove garlic

350g chicken breast, diced

250g ricotta

1 very large handful of baby spinach

salt and pepper

4 fresh lasagna pasta sheets or 6 to 8 cannelloni tubes


Place onion and garlic in bowl and chop for 5 sec, speed 7

Add chicken and pulse using turbo until minced.

Add ricotta, spinach and season with salt and pepper.

Cut lasagna sheets in half. Place spoonfuls of mixture across the center of the pasta sheet and roll to form a tube. Or fill cannelloni tubes with mixture.

Place in Varoma.

Prepare sauce in the bowl and cook for 40min, Varoma temp, speed 1


Vegetable sauce.

1 stick celery roughly chopped,

1 carrot, roughly chopped,

800g tinned diced tomatoes, juice drained

1 dsp veggie stock concentrate

1/4 cup of cream

Salt and pepper


Chop celery and carrot for 5 sec on speed 5.

Add remaining ingredients.

Place Varoma with cannelloni in position and cook or 40min, varoma temp, speed 1

Season with salt and pepper

Pour sauce over cannelloni and serve with Parmesan cheese.

Other suggestions

1. I used an extra garlic clove in the filling and I didn't drain my diced tomatoes as I was worried that there wasn't enough liquid in the bowl (cooking for 40 minutes at varoma temp).  The sauce was quite chunky so I might add extra liquid next time and puree a little before serving. Yum Yum!!!

I made my own pasta sheets using 250g white spelt flour, 1 tbsp EVOO and 3 small eggs (throw it all in and knead for 2 mins on interval speed).  I used my pasta roller but it could be rolled by hand with a rolling pin and some old fashioned elbow grease

2. Altered things slightly by sauteeing the onion and garlic 3 mins/100o/speed 1 and adding 4 homegrown large leaves of chopped spinach with 30 seconds to go. Added the chicken mince, 200g ricotta, S & P and mixed for 30 seconds/reverse/speed 1.  It made 6 nice big cannelloni using 3 fresh lasagne sheets I had in the freezer.
The sauce - 55g celery, 95g carrot and added the whole can of tomatoes undrained, blitzed them for 5 sec/speed 5. Rinsed the can out with a bit of water and added that too along with 65g cream and S & P.

Some alternative ideas for this recipe from other members.

Maddy-used fresh lasagne sheets and rolled them. It saved the difficulty of filling cannelloni.

Chelsea-used an extra garlic clove and didn't drain the tomatoes. May add extra liquid and puree the sauce. Made her own pasta.

Judydawn-made these changes.Altered things slightly by sauteeing the onion and garlic 3 mins/100o/speed 1 and adding 4 homegrown large leaves of chopped spinach with 30 seconds to go. Added the chicken mince, 200g ricotta, S & P and mixed for 30 seconds/reverse/speed 1.  It made 6 nice big cannelloni using 3 fresh lasagne sheets I had in the freezer.
The sauce - 55g celery, 95g carrot and added the whole can of tomatoes undrained, blitzed them for 5 sec/speed 5. Rinsed the can out with a bit of water and added that too along with 65g cream and S & P.

Thermie Crew-added an extra tin of tomatoes so there was more sauce, and used frozen spinach, thawed first.

Lisel-used Mountain bread instead of pasta.

Delightful Den I plated the cooked cannelloni and topped with sauce then a mixture of Parmesan and mozzarella cheese. I placed the plates under a hot grill to melt the cheese.

I found this mixture made 18 cannelloni.

Tasty For tonight I have substituted the spinach for basil and added some pinenuts to create a pesto chicken ricotta cannelloni!

Teagg- I've substituted quark for the ricotta.
I've also subbed courgette (zucchini) for the celery...
And mascarpone for the cream in the sauce...

Snappy-sometimes uses Neapolitana sauce instead of the one in the recipe.

[Thermomixer]

Great idea - thanks Sheree

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

I love the sound of this recipe but have never made cannelloni before and am a bit unsure.  I don't want to use store-bought  pasta so can I just use fresh home-made pasta sheets?  Also, can I really steam them in the varoma?  I don't think I have ever steamed pasta before? 

[cathy79]

I think you an treat cannelloni the same way you treat lasanga, as it's just a different shape.  So I'd make this as a lasagna as that's much easier.  It's pretty fiddly filling up cannelloni tubes.

Actually I just noticed that Riv Mum says Cannelloni or fresh pasta sheets.  I didn't read it properly the first time.  Go for it Chelsea!

[maddy]

This does sound nice riv mum.

I don't have a pasta press, so I usually buy the fresh lasagna sheets, and roll the mix up in it like a cannelloni tube, seam down.
Much easier than trying to shove it into those tubes....which I loathe doing!

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

Cool.  I will get cracking with my rollers.  I love these all in one meals (and Sheree's recipes in general)!!!  Stay posted for a review! 

[Thermomixer]

Yes, it's fiddly filling bought cannelloni tubes, but easy to roll mix in cooked pasta sheets (if using dried pasta) or just fresh pasta sheets without cooking first.

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

Well I made these for dinner and we absolutely loved them.  This recipe has gone straight to the "make again" file.  Thanks so much for another great recipe Sheree!

I used an extra garlic clove in the filling and I didn't drain my diced tomatoes as I was worried that there wasn't enough liquid in the bowl (cooking for 40 minutes at varoma temp).  The sauce was quite chunky so I might add extra liquid next time and puree a little before serving. Yum Yum!!!

I made my own pasta sheets using 250g white spelt flour, 1 tbsp EVOO and 3 small eggs (throw it all in and knead for 2 mins on interval speed).  I used my pasta roller but it could be rolled by hand with a rolling pin and some old fashioned elbow grease  .

A lovely meal!!!

[judydawn]

Thanks for bumping this one Chelsea - I was wondering what to do with a 250g packet of chicken mince.

Altered things slightly by sauteeing the onion and garlic 3 mins/100^o/speed 1 and adding 4 homegrown large leaves of chopped spinach with 30 seconds to go. Added the chicken mince, 200g ricotta, S & P and mixed for 30 seconds/reverse/speed 1.  It made 6 nice big cannelloni using 3 fresh lasagne sheets I had in the freezer.
The sauce - 55g celery, 95g carrot and added the whole can of tomatoes undrained, blitzed them for 5 sec/speed 5. Rinsed the can out with a bit of water and added that too along with 65g cream and S & P.

DH was the first to comment - what's this, it is very nice and indeed it was.  Thanks Sheree 
2 for lunch with salad, 2 for tomorrow's quick tea after being out all day and 2 have gone into the freezer.

[Thermomixer]

Good work JD - thx for your method too. 

[thermie crew]

Thanks riv-mum, we love this meal!

My daughter is allergic to egg so we can't use fresh pasta sheets. It means I have to use the tedious cannelloni tubes but it's still worth it 

I've started using frozen spinach for the recipe-much cheaper. I just thaw the box slightly and chop it in half (saving the other half for next time). I also use 500g chicken. I normally have some mixture leftover after all of the tubes are filled so i mix this filling with breadcrumbs the next night and cook them in patties-very yummy.

I also add an extra tin of tomatoes to the sauce so that there's more to go around 

Thanks again, delicious.

[paperfreak]

I just made this now for dinner (but decided to bake it instead of steam it!!).

The sauce was amazing, however there was some real odd taste in the filling. I think it was the onion and the fact it wasn't sauteed. I will try making it again but with either no onion (as many recipes online I see don't have onion) or just a little onion sauteed.

And I would definitely not drain the diced tomatoes. The more sauce the better!

[Lisel]

Paperfreak, I have not tried this version, but usually saute the onion and garlic, add chicken and brown (I used very small pieces pre thermie) and then mixed it all together.  I think it needs the onion, but I would saute it as judydawn suggested.

I usually use mountain bread as I always have some on hand, guests never notice it is not pasta and it comes in lots of different types.

Looking forward to giving this one a go.

[Delightful Den]

I made this tonight. I used cannelloni tubes and a piping bag to fill them.  Still very fiddly. The sauce was lovely. I did not drain the tomatoes and added about 1/2 a can of water. I will definitely make this again and will probably increase the water in the sauce next time.

I plated the cooked cannelloni and topped with sauce then a mixture of Parmesan and mozzarella cheese. I placed the plates under a hot grill to melt the cheese.

I found this mixture made 18 cannelloni.

[Stoked]

Adding this to my list!