recipes
cannelloni, three ways
Every time we search cannelloni fillings you end up with the same old – spinach and ricotta or a beef bolognese – even on Pinterest.
Don’t get us wrong, they’re classic but our creative juices be flowing and we bring you a Christmas colours inspired veggie cannelloni series (wholesomely cheesy as well).
You can do them separately or create a colourful Christmas tray like we did, either way, recipes below!
spinach & ricotta
pine tree-inspired
We can’t do cannelloni without the classic filling. But also, it reminds us of the evergreen pine trees that bring us into that christmas mood.
beetroot béchamel
rudolph the red nose-inspired
It’s Christmas, and Rudolph needs a shout out. What’s redder than beetroot. We’ve used this as a filling here but mix this in pasta with some dill, hmmmm, chef’s kiss.
sweet potato & blue cheese
"gold" shining star-inspired
Representing the light and warmth in the dark winter when Jesus was born, we bring a sweet potato and blue cheese combo (mainly because we were over having pumpkin in the fall).
the stuff
the stuff:
6 cannelloni
passata
mozzarella
the filling:
spinach, chopped
onion, chopped
garlic, chopped
butter
ricotta
salt & pepper
lemon juice
the method
- Preheat oven at 180-200°C.
- Melt some butter on a pan and add the chopped onions, garlic and spinach.
- Add salt and pepper.
- Cook till the spinach wilts and the spinach juices evaporate.
- In a bowl, mix the spinach mixture with ricotta.
- Squeeze some lemon if you like for a bit of tanginess to reduce spinach bitterness.
- Parboil the cannelloni and add passata on a baking tray.
- Scoop a spoonful of spinach ricotta mix into a freezer bag.
- Cut a small hole in a corner of the bag and squeeze that baby into a tube and line them up on the tray.
- Brush some water on the cannelloni and scoop more passata sauce on the cannelloni.
- Crumble some mozzarella on top.
- Bake till that mozzarella melts.
beetroot béchamel
the stuff
the stuff:
6 cannelloni
passata or béchamel
mozzarella
the filling:
2 beetroot, grated
1 brown onion, chopped
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
milk
salt & pepper
the method
- Preheat oven at 180-200°C.
- In a pan, bubble some butter.
- Drop them chopped onions and sprinkle some salt.
- When they turn slightly brown, slowly add water to caramelise.
- Add the grated beetroot and sauté until soft.
- While it softens, prepare the béchamel.
- Melt butter in a saucepan and add flour until it forms a thick paste.
- Add milk and stir until it forms a thick sauce.
- Add salt and pepper as needed.
- Mix the béchamel sauce into the pan with beetroot and caramelised onions until it forms a thick, dark pink paste.
- Parboil the cannelloni and add passata or béchamel on a baking tray.
- Scoop a spoonful of beetroot béchamel mix into a freezer bag.
- Cut a small hole in the corner of the bag and squeeze that beautiful red paste into a cannelloni.
- Line them up on the tray.
- Brush some water on the cannelloni and scoop more passata or béchamel sauce on the cannelloni.
- Crumble some mozzarella on top and bake until the mozzarella is slightly brown, stretchy and sizzling.
sweet potato and blue cheese
the stuff
the stuff:
6 cannelloni
passata
mozzarella
the filling:
1 sweet potato
1 brown onion, chopped
blue cheese
salt & pepper
the method
- Preheat oven at 180-200°C.
- Boil the sweet potato till soft.
- Meanwhile caramelise them onions.
- Add butter or olive oil to a frying pan on low to medium heat.
- Add chopped brown onion and sprinkle some salt.
- When they turn slightly brown, slowly add water to caramelise. Let the onion juices seep out.
- Once the sweet potato is completely cooked, let it cool.
- Peel the skin and mash it in a bowl.
- Add the caramelised onion and crumble the blue cheese to form a thick paste.
- You should know the drill by now. Parboil the cannelloni and add passata on a baking tray.
- Scoop a spoonful of sweet potato and blue cheese mix into a freezer bag.
- Cut a small hole in a corner of the bag and squeeze that baby into a tube and line them up on the tray.
- Brush some water on the cannelloni and scoop more passata sauce on the cannelloni.
- Crumble some mozzarella on top and bake till its sizzling.