Photo: Cannelloni or Stuffed Shells with Veal and Sweet Sausage Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons EVOO
- 8 ounces sweet Italian sausage meat with fennel
- 12 ounces ground veal
- About 2 tablespoons fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- One 10- to 12-ounce package chopped frozen organic spinach, defrosted and wrung dry in kitchen towel
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- Freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
- 1 1/2 cups grated fontina cheese, such as Fontina Val d'Aosta
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 12 cannelloni dried pasta or 18 large pasta shells
Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Meanwhile, heat the EVOO in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the sausage and crumble to very small pieces. Then add the veal, brown and crumble. Add the sage, garlic, onions and some salt and pepper, and cook until tender. Separate the spinach with your fingertips and add to the skillet. Stir to heat through, then deglaze with the wine and remove from the heat.
In a saucepot over medium heat, melt the butter, whisk in the flour and bring to a bubble. Whisk in the milk and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste. Thicken the sauce to coat the back of a spoon. Taste to adjust the seasoning and remove a ladle of sauce to combine with the egg yolks to temper them. Add the egg yolks to the sauce and stir in half of the fontina cheese and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Reduce the heat to low, or cover to keep warm.
Salt the water, and cook the pasta to a chewy al dente, 6 to 7 minutes. Then drain and cool. Fill the tubes or shells with the meat filling using small spoon. Cover the bottom of the baking dish with one-quarter of the sauce, then arrange the shells and cover with the remaining sauce, then top with the remaining cheese. Refrigerate or freeze for a make-ahead meal.
Bake from room temperature at 375 degrees F until brown and bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes.
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By seaotter301
Elmhurst, IL
on March 23, 2013
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This is a phenomenal recipe! I am a somewhat lazy cook, so I use an already shredded 3 cheese italian blend of parmesan, asiago and romano. I was also lucky enough to find frozen extra fine chopped spinach by Hampton Hills and I can thereby "get" the spinach into my boys' bodies! I do not use the nutmeg and as I said, I'm lazy so I don't even stuff the shells. I've made this recipe three times already and we literally finish nearly all of it with one small serving left. Yes, we're healthy eaters and probably overeat whenever I make this dish!
I truly think the veal makes the dish. Thanks Rachel for sharing!
By audreyclement1_...
Newport News, 86
on February 11, 2013
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This was a great recipe. I subsituted the veal for pork, italian sausgage, and beef. It wa easy and delicioius. I was cooking for 2 so there was alot leftover. Just know you can adjust the recipe. Definitely a recipe to try,
By JAlberts
Illinois
on December 26, 2012
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I have a lunch for a group of friends over the holidays and I'm always looking for something "different" to have. I made this dish a day ahead and refrigerated it. The girls nearly licked their plates clean. All went home with the recipe. It's a wonderful dish that is a pleasure to enjoy. There a several steps to make the dish, but it's well worth the time and effort. I have made it twice over the holiday season and the second time I made it, I substituted the veal with portabello mushroms. It was a hit as well. I froze part of the second effort to have for later. WONDERFUL FLAVORS - TERRIFIC DISH.
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