Cannelloni
Tomato Sauce:
1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 yellow onion, peeled and halved
4 tbsp. butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Filling:
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 small yellow onion, peeled and minced
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
6 oz. ground chicken
6 oz. ground veal
6 oz. ground pork
salt and pepper to taste
Béchamel (White Sauce):
4 tbsp. butter cut into pieces
1/4 cup flour
2 cups hot milk
salt and white pepper to taste
1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
1 pkg. square wonton wrappers
2 tbsp. grated Parmigiano Reggiano
2 tbsp. butter, cut into small pieces
For the tomato sauce: Put tomatoes,
onions and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Season to taste with
salt and pepper and simmer, stirring often, until the sauce thickens, about 30
minutes. Remove and discard the onions.
For the filling: Heat oil in a
medium skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring
often. Add chicken, veal, pork and salt and pepper. Cook, stirring
often until the meat is cooked through. Transfer meat to a food processor
and process until the meat starts clinging together.
Put meat in a large bowl and set aside.
For the white sauce: Melt butter in a heavy medium saucepan over
medium-low heat. Add flour and whisk for 1-2 minutes, do not allow to
brown. Gradually add milk, whisking constantly. Season to taste with
salt and pepper and continue to cook until the sauce is the consistency as heavy
cream, about 15 minutes, then add the cheese.
Add 1/2 cup of this sauce to the meat mixture and set the
rest aside. (The first time I made this, I
forgot this step, it makes a huge difference.)
Preheat oven to 375. Add a
pinch of salt to boiling water in a shallow 9-inch skillet. Dip the wonton
wrappers into the boiling water for about 10 seconds each, just to soften them
up. Dip them in cold water, and set them on a clean towel, without
touching, and cover them with a towel.
For Assembly: Working with one
wonton wrapper at a time, spread 2-3 tbsp. meat filling along the
wide edge, then roll up, jelly roll style. Repeat with the remaining
wrappers and filling.
Spread a thin layer, about one cup, of tomato sauce over the bottom of a large
baking dish. Lay cannelloni, seam side down, in a single layer on top of
the tomato sauce. Spread another thin layer of tomato sauce over the top
of the cannelloni. Spoon the remaining white sauce over the top of the
tomato sauce. Sprinkle with cheese and dot with butter. Bake until
sauce is bubbling, 15-20 minutes, then brown under the broiler for 3-4 minutes.
Notes: This really makes some
extra so I freeze the extra cannelloni. You can use crepes instead of
wonton wrappers or make fresh pasta sheets if you are really ambitious. As
a quick step you can use purchased marinara sauce, but make sure it is a kind of
bland one without meat.
