CANNELLONI WITH ARTICHOKE FILLING - TM & TRADITIONAL METHOD

These cannelloni are just beautiful and very easy to make. They are also vegetarian and can be served as an entrée or a main meal; just add a nice green salad on the side! I used fresh lasagna sheets cut into small rectangles to roll the cannelloni, but if you prefer to use cannelloni shells, you can pipe the filling inside them. However, I have never used them, so I am not sure if they are going to work in this recipe. I also used canned artichoke hearts, it is very hard to get fresh artichokes where we live, and when they are available are very expensive. The result was fantastic, and they can be frozen easily. Just put the rolled cannelloni separately on a tray - before adding the tomato sauce on top, and when frozen they can be stored separately in a plastic bag. I also froze the tomato sauce in another container. Just get as many cannelloni as you need for an easy dinner (they can go to the oven while still frozen), add the defrosted tomato sauce on top and the only thing you will have to make is the bechamel sauce. Voilà!

Ingredients

140 g Parmesan cheese, crust removed and cut into pieces (2-3 cm)
200 g smoked cheese (e.g. smoked scamorza, smoked Edam cheese), cut into pieces (4-5 cm)
1 garlic clove
20 g extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing
300 g fresh artichoke hearts
100 g white wine
100 g ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
2 pinches freshly ground black pepper
16 cannelloni shells (approx. 180 g)
40 g celery stalk, cut into pieces
30 g brown onion
40 g carrot, cut into pieces
1 garlic clove
400 g canned tomatoes
200 g water
1 pinch sugar
1 tsp salt
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper

Bechamel sauce

500 ml (2 cups) of milk
50 g  (¼ cup) of unsalted butter
50 g (4 tablespoons) of all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon of fine salt
freshly grated nutmeg

Preparation
Thermomix

Place Parmesan cheese and smoked cheese into mixing bowl and grate 15 sec/speed 10. Transfer into a bowl and set aside.
Place garlic and oil into mixing bowl and sauté 3 min/120°C/speed 1.
Add artichokes and white wine and cook 15 min/100°C/speed 1, without measuring cup. 
Insert measuring cup and mix 40 sec/speed 8. Scrape down sides of mixing bowl using spatula.
Add ricotta cheese, 200 g reserved grated cheese, eggs, salt and pepper and mix 40 sec/speed 4. Transfer into a bowl and allow to cool for a few minutes.

Traditional Method

Place Parmesan cheese and smoked cheese into the bowl of a food processor and grate until fine. Transfer into a bowl and set aside.
Place garlic and oil into a fry-pan and sauté 3 min until just golden.
Add artichokes and white wine and cook 15 min, stirring every now and then. 
Put the artichoke mixture into a food processor and mix well. Scrape down sides of the bowl using spatula.
Add ricotta cheese, 200 g reserved grated cheese, eggs, salt and pepper and mix again. Transfer into a bowl and allow to cool for a few minutes.

Thermomix & Traditional Method

Put about 2 tablespoons of the filling mixture in the cannelloni sheets and roll. Arrange filled cannelloni into a lightly greased ovenproof dish, leaving a little space between them. 

Thermomix

Place celery stalks, onions, carrots, garlic, tomatoes, water, sugar, salt and black pepper into mixing bowl and chop 15 sec/speed 5.
Cook 30 min/Varoma/speed 1.
Cover the cannelloni with the tomato sauce. 

Traditional Method

Place celery stalks, onions, carrots, garlic, tomatoes, water, sugar, salt and black pepper into the bowl of a food processor and chop to a paste.
Transfer to the fry-pan and cook for 30 min, stirring to make sure it doesn't stick to the bottom of pan.
Cover the cannelloni with the tomato sauce. 

Preheat oven to 200C. 

Make bechamel sauce. If you have a Thermomix, use it to make the sauce, but if not, here is a link to a traditional recipe.

Pour the bechamel sauce on top top of the cannelloni and sprinkle with the grated cheese. 

Bake for about 15 minutes or until the cheese has melted and has a light golden crust.

Serve immediately.

Serves 4