Cannelloni with parsnips and blue cheese

Cannelloni (Italian: large reeds) are a cylindrical type of pasta generally served baked with a filling and covered by a sauce. Some types of cannelloni need to be boiled beforehand, for others it is enough to use runnier sauces/filling. If one cannot find ready made cannelloni, rolling lasagne around a filling is an alternative. The stuffing may include ricotta cheese, spinach and various kinds of meat or vegetables. The sauces typically used are tomato or béchamel sauce.

Swiss Chard Leek Cannelloni

Serves 12 as a starter

From Caleb Jones, chef de cuisine of Claudine in San Francisco. You can use green or red Swiss chard; however, some of the red chard color might color the filling, especially if the mixtures are combined too far ahead. Using the preferred brand of cannellini does make a difference. Rustichella d’Abruzzo is thin and supple when cooked, which makes stuffing easier. It also has an ideal proportion of pasta to filling.

• Filling
• 4 bunches Swiss chard
• 5 1/2 to 6 large leeks
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup whole milk + more if needed
• – Zest from 2 oranges
• – Salt and pepper, to taste
• Parsnip cream
• 1 1/2 pounds parsnips, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 cups heavy cream, or enough to cover
• 3/4 to 1 cup water, as needed
• – Salt and pepper, to taste
• – Lemon juice, to taste
• Assembly and garnish
• 24 cannelloni shells (1 box), Rustichella d’Abruzzo brand preferred (see Note)
• – Kosher salt
• 3 to 4 ounces Fourme d’Ambert or other mild, soft, blue cow’s milk cheese
• – Grated zest of 1 orange
• 1/2 cup toasted, finely chopped walnuts
• – Minced chives

For the filling: Strip leaves from the stems of the Swiss chard; discard stems or save for another use. You should have about 8 packed cups of uncut leaves. Clean and blanch the whole leaves; drain well and lightly squeeze dry. Finely chop the chard – you should have about 4 cups – and place in a large mixing bowl; set aside.

Trim leeks and discard dark green portions or save for another use. Halve the white sections lengthwise, rinse well and cut into small dice; set aside.

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom saucepot over medium heat; add the leeks and cook, stirring, until slightly softened. Add the wine; continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until pot is about dry.

Lower heat to medium-low; add the cream and milk, and cook, stirring often, until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat, and scrape the leek mixture into the bowl with the chard – there should be about equal amounts of each. Stir in the orange zest and adjust seasonings. The filling can be made ahead.

For the parsnip cream: Meanwhile, place parsnips in large stockpot and cover with cream. Simmer until the parsnips are very tender, stirring occasionally and pressing down to compact the parsnips so all are covered, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Working in batches, puree in a blender until smooth. (If the mixture is still very hot, fill blender only about halfway.) Pass through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl. Add 3/4 cup water (more, if needed) until the warm parsnip cream has the consistency of moderately thin gravy. Season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice. The parsnip cream can be made a day ahead; keep warm if using right away.

To assemble: Preheat the oven to 425°. Cook cannelloni in boiling salted water for 5 minutes (longer if using manicotti), until about halfway done. Transfer to ice water to stop the cooking. When fully cooled, remove the cannelloni from the water, drain well and stuff with filling, about 2 to 3 tablespoons for each cannelloni.

Place the cannelloni in a large casserole dish, or in separate serving-size oven-proof dishes. Cover each cannelloni with about 2 tablespoons parsnip cream. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until heated through. Remove from oven and crumble a little Fourme d’Ambert on top, about 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons per serving. Return to oven for 5 more minutes, or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; sprinkle with orange zest, walnuts and chives, and serve immediately.

Note: There are 24 Rustichella cannelloni in each box (8.8 ounces, $7.85); serve 2 per person. You can substitute 1 large manicotti for each serving, but they are generally thicker and take longer to cook.

Per serving: 533 calories, 10 g protein, 39 g carbohydrate, 38 g fat (22 g saturated), 122 mg cholesterol, 180 mg sodium, 4 g fiber.

Wine pairing: The slightly sweet parsnip puree needs a relatively fruity white wine to match its richness. Try a Vouvray.

Italian Cookery with Bill & Sheila

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