Date Night at Home: Cannelloni di Templare

This is what we had for dinner a few nights ago, and it was delicious. Joe came up with this recipe, and I told him that he could make it again any time he feels like it! This is a great option for a night in or even for hosting a dinner party. (We had a lot left over with this recipe.) Enjoy!

Cannelloni di Templare

This recipe is a bit of trickery and pocket-sized morsels rolled into cannelloni. The “di Templare” part comes in the alignment of the cannelloni into a cross shape (especially since it’s a cheater’s dish with lasagna instead of cannelloni pasta). I made a vegetarian version with mushrooms and a carnivorous version with sausage. Here are the ingredients I worked with.

Here are the ingredients, many of which came from Wegmans:

1 lb box of lasagna noodles
1 16 oz can of crushed tomatoes

1 8 oz can of plain tomato sauce

4 oz sliced baby portabella mushrooms

.5 lb of chicken and apple sausage (can substitute with any sort of sausage as long as there are apples)
.5 lb of smoked Gouda

8 oz heavy whipping cream

4 oz vodka

1 tbsp garlic (minced)

shredded mozzarella

salt

olive oil

crushed red pepper

basil

rosemary

sugar

Directions:

Cut the Gouda into 1.5 inch squares about 3 mm thick. Set aside.

In a dutch oven or a large pot or wok, start the garlic* with 1 tbsp of olive oil, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp red pepper, and 1.5 tsp of basil. Brown the garlic on medium high. Lower the heat, add the tomatoes and tomato sauce, and sauté with 1.5 tsp of balsamic vinegar, 1.5 tsp of sugar, and the vodka. Let simmer for 20 minutes. Add basil to taste. When ready to taste, slowly whisk in the heavy cream so it doesn't curdle and then lower the heat until it's on a slow simmer. (*Jen’s note: Joe didn’t specify how much garlic here. With minced garlic, .5 tsp=1 clove, so it’s up to you how much you want to include based on your preferences.)

Start the lasagna with some olive oil and salt. Boil the lasagna until al dente and then bathe in a blanching shock bath to stop the cooking process.

Marinate the mushrooms with 1 tsp of olive oil, .5 tsp salt, .5 tsp red pepper, and .5 tsp rosemary flakes.

Grill or sear in a hot pan or a grill for 2 minutes (I use a Foreman Grill). Once grilled, chop the mushroom into a fine tapenade consistency.

Grill the sausage in a pan searing or on the grill for 5-10 minutes (again the Foreman Grill is best for this). When done, take off and slice into thin nickels.

Sausage nickels

Preheat the oven to 325.

Take the lasagna noodles out one at a time and pat dry. Lay flat on a cutting board and add a wedge of Gouda at one end; next to the cheese, put some of the mushroom or sausage or both. Then gently roll the noodle on the cheese piece to completely tuck in the contents. After you have a roll, place it on a greased baking pan. Do this until you fill your baking pan. 

Blond mushroom cannelloni

Close-up

With the pan or pans laid out with little rolls of cannelloni, cover them with sauce so there is no blond pasta showing. When that is accomplished, sprinkle with some shredded mozzarella to your liking. 

Mushroom cannelloni before baking--lots of leftovers!

Joe's sausage cannelloni

Put the pan(s) into the oven for 15-20 minutes.

When they are done, serve in a cross formation on the plate. If you want to, put some leftover sausage nickels in the center. Cover the cannelloni with any leftover sauce and more mozzarella if desired. Garnish with parsley or basil.

Mushroom cannelloni--delish!

Sausage cannelloni