I love Italian food! It’s one of my favorite meals. It’s fun to try traditional meals with a creative twist. I recently found a recipe for Crispy Volpi Pancetta Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni and it quickly became a family favorite. This cannelloni recipe is unique and fun to prepare. I found this great recipe on Chef Michael’s blog page at “volpifoods.com”. From the first taste, you will notice that the textures and flavors combine to create an Italian masterpiece!

Ingredients:

Cannelloni Pasta Dough Recipe

1 T – Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 each – Extra Large Eggs

1/8 t – Sea Salt (fine)

1 c – All Purpose Flour

½ c – Semolina Flour

In the bowl of your stand mixer place the eggs, olive oil and sea salt. Mix on low speed with paddle attachment until well blended. Take the flour and semolina in a small bowl and blend well. Add flour to wet ingredents and mix on low.

Remove the dough from the mixer bowl and shape into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, start to knead the pasta dough until you get a smooth texture. Flatten pasta dough to 2 inch thickness, wrap dough in plastic wrap and allow dough to rest for a minimum of 30 minutes. Once the pasta dough has had enough time to rest, next step is to make the sheets for the cannelloni.

A rolling pin can be used; however one of the BEST kitchen tools to have is a traditional hand crank pasta machine. Cut the pasta dough into 4 equal pieces. Start at the widest setting and begin to roll out the dough until desired thickness is achieved. Approximate size needed for the pasta sheet is 3 1/2 x 22 inches. NOTE: Be sure to roll out all of the pasta before adding cannelloni filling. Keep covered with towel or plastic wrap to avoid pasta getting too dry.

Cannelloni Ingredients:

1 lb – Spinach, leaves only – fresh (blanched, finely chopped)

1 ½ lb – Ricotta cheese

Chef Note* – Visit Volpi web site ‘Recipes’ for “Home-made Ricotta”

1 ea – Egg, large and 1 additional egg for egg-wash

2 T – Heavy Cream

¼ t – Nutmeg, fresh ground

¼ t – Lemon zest, fresh zest

1/3 c – Parmesan cheese, fresh grated, additional for garnish

Sea Salt, Black Pepper (fresh ground)

1 bunch – Basil, fresh sliced in ribbons

12 oz – Volpi Pancetta, cut in ½ x ½ strips

1 T – Olive Oil

5 c – Marinara / Tomato Sauce

Method:

Bring large pot of water to boil. Seaons water with sea salt and put spinach in boiling water for 30 seconds to blanch. Take spinach out and shock in ice cold water, draink well and squeeze to remove excess water. Make sure to chop the spinch very fine. (NOTE* Frozen spinach is quick, acceptable substitute)

In large mixing bowl place Ricotta cheese and add egg, heavy cream, nutmeg, and lemon zest. Mix ingredients well to incorporate. Fold in chopped spinach and Parmesan cheese. Create preferred seasoning by adding sea salt and black pepper. Set aside until required for cannelloni assembly.

Chef Tip: Fill a pastry bag with Spinach & Ricotta filling; this makes the cannelloni making process quick, easy and with little mess.

Volpi Pancetta ½ by ½ inch strips:

Place 1 T olive oil in sauté pan over medium low heat. Add Volpi Pancetta and render fat until Pancetta becomes crispy and golden brown on both sides. Remove from pan with slotted spoon to paper lined plate to drain and hold.

Assembly:

Place one of the rolled pasta sheets on flat surface on top of a piece of plastic wrap in front of you. Using the pastry bag method, squeeze a ¾ inch bead of filling at bottom edge of pasta sheet. To help with sealing cannelloni, place thin coating of egg wash at the top edge. Take hold of the plastic wrap then lift and roll the pasta sheet over it to create a cylinder shape. When the cannelloni shape is formed, cut individual cannelloni into 5 1/2 inch pieces. Move cannelloni to parchment lined sheet pan and hold in refrigerator until ready for cooking.

Cooking:

Place a layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of a baking dish, approximately ¼ inch thick. In an even row, lay the finished cannelloni on top of the sauce. Cover baking dish with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. Place cannelloni in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes.

Place remaining marinara sauce in pot and heat to simmer and hold until plating.

Remove from oven, place cannelloni on plate or serving platter. Ladle marinara sauce over the top, garnish with fresh basil, Parmesan cheese and Volpi Pancetta strips.

Serves 4-6 people.

Chef Michael’s spinach pasta recipe is truly a wonderful rendition of traditional cannelloni. The Panchetta added a new flavor and texture to the cannelloni. Don’t take my word for it; try it and taste for yourself! A sangiovese or merlot will complement the meal nicely.

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How do you surprise the people on your holiday list with a great new gift. I have an excellent gift that has worked for me many times. Italian gift baskets are the perfect solution! Whether you buy them or make them, they provide excellent variety and are a sure hit with any friend or family member. You can be really creative with what you put in the baskets and how your decorate them. Here is how to create a memorable gift basket.

A salami variety pack makes for an easy gift basket! You can choose anything from pepperoni to Calabrese to Sopressata salami. These Italian meats provide a perfect gift for those friends and family who love cooking! Try to include some easy pasta recipes that use any one of these salamis. You’re giving them not only new recipes, but also the ingredients to cook with. That’s a 2 for 1 deal!

Here is another gift basket idea. Assemble a gift basket that has all the ingredients for an authentic Italian meal! Some examples of what to include are: Rotola, Genova salami, marinara, Rotola, breadsticks and a variety of cheese. If a friend needs to throw a quick meal together, this basket contains every ingredient for an Italian meal. Try to include some pasta recipes in the basket!

Another easy basket to create is an appetizer gift basket! Antipasto, an authentic Italian appetizer, is a combination of small snack-sized bites that are meant to prepare you for the main course. This is a potpourri of salami, cheese and crackers! Branch out and be creative with this basket’s ingredients. Depending upon what your friend or family member likes, cater the basket to their liking. Or, you can create a “variety pack” by adding in different types of Italian meats such as salami, pepperoni, Basil Rotola or Sopressata. Appetizers are great for any party or get together! You have all the items you need at your fingertips!

Finally, here is a gift basket idea that will go great with any Italian gift basket: a Salami and wine gift set. Pairing salami with the right type of wine can really bring out the flavors of your favorite Italian meats. Sanigovese wines are created wtih subtle flavors that complement specialty cured meats. Wine salami, which is salami infused with high quality wine, is an excellent addition to the basket!

Now that you know the basis of how to create any number of gift baskets, problem solved. Each basket will give your friends and family an authentic taste of Italy.

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