Cannelloni

Use fresh lasagne sheets in a new pasta bake – cannelloni are cigar-shaped tubes filled with meat and cheese, smothered in tomato sauce and baked. What are you waiting for?

Ingredients

• 18-20 fresh pasta sheets (approx 13cm x 10cm/5in x 4in)
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 8 tbsp Italian olive oil
• 500g/17oz minced beef
• 700g/24oz ricotta cheese
• 150g/5oz mascarpone cheese
• pinch of grated nutmeg
• 200g/7oz grated parmesan cheese
• 100g/3oz parmesan shavings
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 800g/12oz Italian tinned chopped tomatoes
• handful (approx. 15) fresh basil leaves
• 160ml/5½ fl oz double cream
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

2. Gently fry the onion in olive oil until golden.

3. Add in the minced beef and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for 10-15 minutes. Allow meat to cool.

4. Mix the cooked meat with the ricotta cheese, mascarpone, nutmeg and parmesan cheese in a large clean bowl.

5. Taste the mixture and then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

6. Take a sheet of pasta and at one end place two heaped tablespoons of meat mix.

7. Gently roll the pasta to achieve a filled tube shape.

8. Place in a deep-sided baking tray. Repeat the process until the baking tray is full and the pasta sheets are all used up.

9. Pour over the chopped tomatoes. Top with the basil, drizzle over the cream and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

10. Finally, drizzle the extra virgin olive oil on top and bake for approximately 20 minutes. For the first 10 minutes cover with foil, then remove.

11. To serve, place three cannelloni on a plate and top with shaved parmesan and (if you like) a glass of Italian medium red wine.

Cannelloni