The recipe for cannelloni amalfitani
Cannelloni amalfitani are a traditional dish of the Amalfi Coast, perfect for feast days and Sunday family lunches. For the uninitiated, we are talking about a special egg pasta format, cylindrical in shape, stuffed inside with a meat, béchamel and ricotta filling, and topped with a delicious meat sauce. Now known throughout Italy, they satisfy the palates of young and old alike.
As recalled by journalist and writer Gaetano Afeltra in his book ‘Com’era bello nascere nel lettone’, published by Rizzoli in 1991, they were invented on 10 August 1924 by chef Salvatore Coletta, who, tired of the usual recipes, had experimented for several months with the new pasta dish, stretching the shapes until they looked like cannoli. And then he had stuffed them with minced meat, fior di latte and cow’s ricotta cheese, covering them with tomato sauce.
Today, in addition to the classic version, there are many variations of this rich and tasty dish. One of the most popular is the so-called ‘white’ version, which sees them stuffed with meat, ricotta and spinach, and covered with béchamel sauce. Then there are those who like them with vegetables for a vegetarian version and those who prefer fish to meat.
For those who want to prepare the classic version of cannelloni all’amalfitana, here is the recipe.
Ingredients
eggs
flour
tomato puree
meat and sausages for the ragout
minced meat
mozzarella
béchamel sauce
cow ricotta cheese
fior di latte cheese
grated Parmesan cheese
white wine
nutmeg
onion
extra virgin olive oil
salt
Procedure
The first thing to make is the meat sauce (with tomato puree and the addition of meat and sausages) to be used to season the cannelloni. We recommend preparing it early in the morning or, even better, the night before, cooking it carefully and for a long time so that it thickens and rests well. But also because the longer it cooks, the tastier it will be.
To prepare the dough, use one egg for every 100 grams of flour. Make a well in the flour and add the eggs and salt, then beat the eggs with a fork, gradually incorporating the flour until it is completely incorporated. Then continue with your hands, stretching and rolling, until you obtain a soft and smooth dough ball. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes, then roll it out into rectangles of about 10 centimetres.
As for the filling, sauté the onion in a pan with extra virgin olive oil, add the minced meat, salt and deglaze with white wine. When the meat is cooked, let it cool. Add the béchamel sauce, nutmeg, ricotta cheese, diced fior di latte and grated Parmesan cheese to the mixture, allowing all the ingredients to come together.
Before stuffing the cannelloni, cook them in salted water brought to the boil, leaving them slightly undercooked for a few minutes. Drain them well and place them in a bowl with cold water and oil. You can now proceed with the filling, leaving the ends free and rolling the dough in the longest direction.
In a baking dish, sprinkle the bottom with the sauce and arrange the cannelloni with the ends facing down, leaving a little space between each one. Finish by covering them with the meat sauce and grated Parmesan. Bake at 180° until the cannelloni are well cooked on the surface (20-30 minutes).
