Summer Cannelloni with Vegetables and Ricotta

Name: Summer Cannelloni with Vegetables and Ricotta
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 100 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Egg cannelloni pasta 14; Eggplant 1.1 lbs; Red peppers 1.1 lbs; Shallot 1; Fine salt to taste; Extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp; Basil 6 leaves; Cow's milk ricotta cheese 2 cups; Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese to grate 1.4 oz; Black pepper to taste; Whole milk 2 ½ cups; Type 00 flour ½ cup; Butter 4 tbsp; Fine salt to taste; Nutmeg to taste; Datterino tomatoes 2 ½ cups; Extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp; Fine salt to taste

Vegetarian

Difficulty: Average
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 40 min
Serving: 4

PRESENTATION

Are you looking for a fresh and light alternative to classic baked cannelloni? Summer cannelloni with vegetables and ricotta is the perfect answer to bring all the taste of tradition to the table in a more colorful and seasonal version. An ideal recipe for summer Sunday lunches or a dinner with friends, which will win everyone over with its creaminess and garden flavors.

In this vegetarian and lighter version, the filling is prepared with eggplants, bell peppers, ricotta, and fresh basil, wrapped in egg pasta cannelloni, all topped with a homemade velvety béchamel and a caramelized cherry tomato sauce that enhances every bite. Easy to prepare in advance, these cannelloni are perfect to serve warm or at room temperature, to enjoy all the pleasure of a baked dish... even in the hottest season! Try this summer version and also explore all our other cannelloni recipes:

INGREDIENTS

Egg cannelloni pasta 14

Eggplant 1.1 lbs (500 g)

Red peppers 1.1 lbs (500 g)

Shallot 1

Fine salt to taste

Extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp (30 g)

Basil 6 leaves

Cow's milk ricotta cheese 2 cups (500 g)

Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese 1.4 oz (40 g) - to grate

Black pepper to taste

for the béchamel: Whole milk 2 ½ cups (600 g); Type 00 flour ½ cup (60 g); Butter 4 tbsp (60 g); Fine salt to taste; Nutmeg to taste

for the cherry tomato sauce: Datterino tomatoes 2 ½ cups (400 g); Extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp (30 g); Fine salt to taste

Preparation

How to prepare Summer Cannelloni with Vegetables and Ricotta

To prepare the summer cannelloni with vegetables and ricotta, start by making the béchamel: melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat 1, then add the flour 2 and mix with a wooden spoon until you get a roux. When the mixture begins to stick slightly to the edges, gradually pour in the room temperature milk 3, continuing to stir.

At this point, use a whisk and, still over medium heat, stir until the béchamel starts to boil. Turn off the heat, adjust salt 4, season with nutmeg 5, and set aside. For the sauce, heat a little oil in a high-sided pan, add the cherry tomatoes 6.

Salt 7 and cook for 5-7 minutes, until they are well caramelized 8. Transfer them to a pitcher 9.

Blend them with an immersion blender 10. Set aside the sauce as well 11. Now move on to the filling: remove the stem 12 and seeds from the bell pepper.

Cut it into strips and then into small cubes 13. Trim the eggplant 14 and cut it into slices and then into cubes like the bell pepper 15.

Clean and finely slice the shallot 16. In a pan, heat the oil and add the shallot 17. Let it sweat in the pan over low heat until soft, it will take about 3-4 minutes. Now add the eggplants 18.

Add the bell peppers as well 19 and salt 20. Cook over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes and let cool 21.

Once cooled, combine the vegetables with the ricotta in a bowl 22, add salt 23, pepper, and hand-torn basil 24.

Mix well 25 and transfer the mixture into a piping bag without a nozzle 26. Take a 8 x 12 inch baking dish and spread a layer of béchamel on the bottom 27.

Stuff the cannelloni with the vegetable and ricotta filling 28, and place them in the baking dish 29. Cover with another layer of béchamel 30.

Sprinkle the surface with grated Parmigiano Reggiano 31 and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil 32. Bake in a preheated static oven at 392°F (200°C) for 20 minutes 33.

Once cooked, serve the summer cannelloni with vegetables and ricotta 34 garnishing the plates with the cherry tomato sauce 35 and fresh basil leaves 36.

Storage

The summer cannelloni with vegetables and ricotta can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days.

You can freeze them after cooking.

Tip

If you want to customize your summer cannelloni with vegetables and ricotta, have fun varying the filling by using other seasonal vegetables, perfect to add color and new flavors to the dish. A great alternative is grilled zucchini: slice them thin, grill them for a few minutes on each side, and then cut them into pieces before adding them to the ricotta.

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.