This is my favorite recipe when company comes. Many of the steps can be done a day or two ahead of time which leaves you more time with your guests.
Portion size8 servings
Credits :judie.k
Ingredients
Method
Filling: Melt first amount of butter in a frying pan. Add onion and garlic cooking until soft but not brown. Cut chicken and veal into chunks and place in a shallow pan in a single layer. Add onion mixture. Cover and bake at 350 for 30 to 40 minutes until done. Let cool slightly before using. Meanwhile prepare tomato sauce. Tomato sauce: Heat 2tbsps. butter in a frying pan. Add 2 tbsps. of shallots and cook until soft. Add one can (398 mls.) whole tomatoes, 1/2 cup chicken broth, 1 tsp. basil, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Simmer uncovered for 40 minutes then puree. Sauce can be refrigerated for 2 days or frozen. Prepare sauce: Melt 2nd amount of butter in a saucepan. Cook for about 1 minute until golden. Add flour and brown slightly. Gradually blend in milk, chicken stock and reserved liquid from roasting pan. Cook until thickened. Add prepared tomato sauce and simmer for 15 minutes. While sauce simmers add ricotta to cooked meat mixture and grind through finest blade of grinder or use a food processor. The mixture should be finely chopped almost like a pate. Add parmesan cheese, egg yolks, salt, nutmeg, and fresh ground pepper to taste. Mixture can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. To assemble: Cut each of the pasta noodles in half. Divide the filling equally between the noodles. Mound the filling making a sausage shape along the longest edge and rollup to enclose the filling completely with pasta. Pour 1/2 the heated sauce into bottom of a shallow baking pan just large enough to hold a single layer of the filled noodles. Place cannelloni on top and cover with remainder of sauce . Bake covered at 350 until heated through (about 30 to 40 minutes). Top with mozzerella and bake uncovered until cheeze is melted and slightly browned. For variation I often use the grated 4 italian cheese mix available in stores.
