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Ricotta Cannelloni

Fresh pasta sheets rolled around lemony ricotta, baked in garlicky tomato sauce.

Serves 2Prep 30 minCook 15 minDifficulty mediumCuisine Italian

vegetarianspicymain

−Servings: 2+

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Ingredients

• 6fresh pasta sheets
• 1(14-oz) can whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 cuppart-skim ricotta cheese
• 1meyer lemon
• 1romaine heart
• 4 clovegarlic
• 1pepperoncini (for serving)
• 1 ozblack Cerignola olives
• 2 tbspmascarpone cheese
• ⅜ cupgrated Parmesan cheese
• ¼ tspcrushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)
• Olive oil (1 tsp for sauce + 2 tsp for dressing)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 475°F.
2. Wash and dry the fresh produce.
3. Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high.
4. Peel and mince the garlic.
5. Place the whole peeled tomatoes in a bowl and gently break them apart with your hands.
6. Cut off and discard the root end of the romaine; roughly chop the leaves.
7. Smash the black Cerignola olives with the flat side of your knife to loosen/remove the pits; discard the pits and finely chop the olives.
8. Quarter the meyer lemon and remove any seeds.
9. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese and the juice of 2 lemon wedges. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
10. In a medium pan, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium-high heat until hot.
11. Add the minced garlic and as much of the crushed red pepper flakes as you like. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until softened and fragrant.
12. Add the broken-apart tomatoes to the pan; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 6 to 7 minutes, or until slightly reduced in volume. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
13. While the sauce cooks, separate the fresh pasta sheets with your hands.
14. Add the sheets to the pot of boiling salted water and cook 1 to 2 minutes, or until just shy of al dente.
15. Drain thoroughly and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. Transfer the sheets to a clean, dry work surface.
16. Spread about 2/3 of the tomato sauce into the bottom of a baking dish.
17. Divide the ricotta filling between the centers of each cooked pasta sheet. Roll each pasta sheet around its filling and carefully place seam-side down into the baking dish.
18. Evenly spoon the remaining sauce over the rolled cannelloni and sprinkle with half of the grated Parmesan cheese.
19. Bake in the preheated oven 7 to 9 minutes, or until heated through.
20. Remove from the oven and let stand at least 2 minutes before serving.
21. While the cannelloni bake, in a large bowl combine the mascarpone cheese, the remaining Parmesan cheese and the juice of the remaining lemon wedges.
22. Slowly whisk in 2 teaspoons olive oil until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
23. Just before serving, add the chopped romaine and the chopped olives to the bowl with the dressing. Toss to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste.
24. Divide the baked cannelloni and the salad between two plates. Top the salad with the pepperoncini and a grind of black pepper. Serve and enjoy.

Notes

• Preheat oven to 475°F is important for best texture and to heat the cannelloni quickly.
• Use a nonstick pan for the sauce if available to prevent sticking.
• Adjust crushed red pepper flakes to control the spice level.
• Rinsing the cooked pasta under cold water stops the cooking and makes it easier to handle when assembling.
• Let the baked cannelloni stand for at least 2 minutes after removing from the oven so they set slightly before serving.