L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, AUGUST 21, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 24 L'Italo-Americano I n t h e i r e s s e n c e , c a n n e l l o n i a r e a s i m p l e t h i n g – stuffed pasta baked w i t h s a u c e a n d cheese – but how good and decadent can they be? In their most classic for- mat, a fresh egg-pasta sheet is rolled around a filling, but m a n y h o m e c o o k s a n d restaurants also use dried t u b e s t h a t a r e f i l l e d a n d baked. The structure barely changes: pasta, a filling that is either di carne (meat) or d i m a g r o ( r i c o t t a a n d greens), a tomato or meat sauce often used along with a light besciamella, and a g r a t i n g c h e e s e s u c h a s P a r m i g i a n o R e g g i a n o o r Pecorino Romano. A few lines of history can help us place the dish and tidy up the language: the n a m e " c a n n e l l o n i " i s t h e augmentative of cannello ("small tube"): cannellone means "big tube," cannel- loni is its plural. Simple! Of course, stuffed pasta pre- dates this label, but printed recipes that clearly match today's cannelloni appear in the early 20th century as a trattoria fix on Sunday and holiday menus. Origin stories point either to Campania (the Sorrento– Naples circle) or to Emilia- R o m a g n a ' s e g g - p a s t a kitchens, but we can't quite say with certainty where the first cannelloni were made. What, however, can be veri- f i e d i s t h a t t h e f o r m a t spread across central and southern regions in the first half of the 20th century and settled into family cooking. Migration carried the idea t o N o r t h A m e r i c a , w h e r e m a n i c o t t i b e c a m e t h e common name and the for- m a t t i l t e d t o w a r d r i d g e d tubes and richer ricotta fill- ings. Now that terms are clear, we can look at the regional picture. In Campania, the filling is often meat-forward and sits on long-cooked ragù napoletano or a straight- forward passata; in some homes, mozzarella or fior di latte sneaks in without turn- ing the dish into lasagna. Emilia-Romagna prefers a v e a l – p o r k – b e e f m i x wrapped in egg pasta and dressed with ragù plus a thin veil of besciamella to s m o o t h a c i d i t y . R o m a n k i t c h e n s also work with veal and pork, sometimes a d d i n g p o r c i n i o r a l i t t l e chicken liver to the filling, and keep sauces restrained. In Abruzzo and in parts of the north, the same idea is built with crespelle – thin pancakes – in place of pasta sheets, giving a softer bite a n d q u i c k e r a s s e m b l y . Puglia, Calabria, and Sicily l e a n o n r i c o t t a - b a s e d d i magro cannelloni and pre- fer clean tomato sauces with a sharper grating cheese. Along the coast, seafood fill- ings show up on restaurant menus. T e c h n i q u e i s w h a t makes the dish consistent f r o m k i t c h e n t o k i t c h e n : fresh sheets are blanched for 30 to 60 seconds in salt- ed water, cooled on cloths, and dried so they roll with- o u t t e a r i n g a n d d o n o t release water into the dish. Dried tubes benefit from a short pre-cook to pliability unless they are designed for direct baking; even then, a b r i e f s o a k a v o i d s c h a l k y centers. Meat fillings are cooked and chopped fine, built on a small soffritto, and bound with egg, grated cheese, and a spoon of sauce for cohesion. Ricotta fillings a r e d r a i n e d o v e r n i g h t ; g r e e n s a r e b l a n c h e d , squeezed dry, and chopped; nutmeg is used sparingly. A s s e m b l y f o l l o w s t h e same logic everywhere: a thin base layer of sauce to stop sticking, neatly filled rolls, a measured topping of sauce and cheese, then bak- i n g u n t i l t h e e d g e s t a k e color and the center is hot. The aim is defined layers that slice cleanly, not a loose casserole. For shopping and pantry work, a few cues can save you time: dried tubes with a slightly rough surface and even thickness hold sauce and cook evenly; if you pre- fer fresh sheets, make sure they have a good egg con- tent so that they stay elastic a f t e r b l a n c h i n g . R i c o t t a should be firm enough to mound on a spoon; that's why a night in a sieve is a g o o d s o l u t i o n t o a v o i d w a t e r y p o c k e t s a n d c u r d separation. Tomato passata gives you a smooth base, but you can also go for polpa if you want to add some tex- ture. Parmigiano Reggiano pairs naturally with besci- amella and is more common i n t h e n o r t h ; P e c o r i n o Romano or Pecorino Sicil- iano suit southern tomato- forward versions. Portions scale easily: two to three cannelloni per per- s o n f o r a m a i n c o u r s e , a standard 20×30 cm (9×13- inch) dish for four generous s e r v i n g s . A f t e r b a k i n g , a f i v e - t o t e n - m i n u t e r e s t improves slicing and flavor. Cannelloni can be easily m a d e i n a d v a n c e a n d frozen: assemble and cool completely before freezing, add a little extra sauce to c o m p e n s a t e f o r m o i s t u r e drawn into the pasta, and defrost in the refrigerator. Bake covered for the first part of the time to reheat the center, then uncover to color the top. Be careful, though: ricotta fillings need thorough drainage before f r e e z i n g , a s e x c e s s w a t e r turns to ice and breaks the texture! If you'd like to give it a go, here are two simple can- n e l l o n i r e c i p e s , o n e f o r magro and one for carne varieties! Ricotta–spinach can- nelloni (serves 4) Blanch 10–12 oz spinach or Swiss chard, squeeze very well, and chop. M i x w i t h 1 c u p w e l l - d r a i n e d r i c o t t a , ½ c u p grated Parmigiano (about 2 oz), 1 egg, salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. P r e p a r e 2 ½ – 3 c u p s tomato passata simmered b r i e f l y w i t h o l i v e o i l a n d either a clove of garlic or a small soffritto; salt to taste and finish with basil. A l t e r n a t i v e l y , m a k e a l i g h t b e s c i a m e l l a w i t h 3 tbsp butter, ⅓ cup flour, and 2 cups milk, seasoned with salt and nutmeg. Blanch fresh pasta sheets o r s o f t e n d r i e d t u b e s . Spread a thin layer of sauce in the baking dish, fill and roll the pasta, cover with a m o d e s t a m o u n t o f s a u c e , dust with 2–3 tbsp Parmi- giano (about 1 oz), and bake at 375–400 °F for 20–30 m i n u t e s , until bubbl ing and lightly browned. If using only tomato, keep the topping light so the rolls don't drown; if using besci- amella, too, keep it thin so the filling remains the star. M e a t c a n n e l l o n i (serves 4) Cook a simple ragù with 1 0 – 1 2 o z m i x e d g r o u n d m e a t s ( b e e f w i t h p o r k o r veal), a small onion–carrot– celery base, and 2–3 cups tomato passata; simmer to a thick, glossy sauce. R e s e r v e 7 – 9 o z o f t h e m e a t c o m p o n e n t , c h o p i t very fine, and bind with 1 e g g , ⅓ – ½ c u p g r a t e d Parmigiano (about 1½ oz), pepper, and a spoon or two of the sauce. Make a light besciamella as above. Line the dish with a thin layer of ragù, fill the pasta, top with a little ragù and a light veil of béchamel, dust with Parmigiano, and bake at 375–400 °F for 25–30 minutes. FRANCESCA BEZZONE Cannelloni can be topped with besciamella and tomato sauce (Photo: Roberto Giobbi/Dreamstime) LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES All about cannelloni: fill, roll, bake

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