Broccoli and Cheese Cannelloni Recipe

Ingredients

  • broccoli florets - 500g

  • dried cannelloni tubes - 15, about 7.5cm/ 3 inch long

  • ricotta cheese - 250g

  • Parmesan or Pecorino cheese - 100ml, grated

  • fresh breadcrumbs - 80g

  • pine nuts - 3 tbsp

  • a pinch of grated nutmeg

  • milk - 175ml

  • olive oil

  • ground black pepper and salt

For the tomato sauce

  • cans tomatoes - 2x400g, chopped

  • tomato puree - 2 tbsp

  • onion - 1, chopped

  • garlic - 1 clove, chopped

  • black olives - 5, stoned and chopped

  • dried thyme - 2 tsp

  • olive oil - 3 tbsp

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 190˚C. Lightly grease the ovenproof dish with olive oil.

  • Bring a pan of water to the boil, add 2 tsp of olive oil into the water, simmer the cannelloni, uncovered, for 8 minutes until it is nearly cooked. Drain the pasta and reserve.

  • Steam the broccoli for 12 minutes until tender. Drain the broccoli, put into a blender and process until smooth. Set aside.

  • Mix together the breadcrumbs, milk, and 2 tsp of oil and stir until softened. Add the broccoli puree, nutmeg, ricotta and 70ml of Parmesan or Pecorino cheese. Season with pepper and salt, set aside.

  • To make to sauce, heat the olive oil in a pan, fry the onion and garlic for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the tomato puree, tomatoes, black olives, thyme and season with pepper and salt. Boil the sauce rapidly for few minutes then pour into the ovenproof dish.

  • Spoon the cheese mixture into a piping bag fitted with a nozzle, open the cannelloni tubes, pipe the filling into each tube.

  • Place the filled cannelloni on the dish and lay them in rows in the tomato sauce.

  • Brush the tops of the cannelloni with little olive oil and sprinkle over the remaining Parmesan or Pecorino cheese and pine nuts. Bake them for 30 minutes until golden. Serves 4-5.

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