When I’m entertaining, I often like to serve a baked pasta as the first course. Dishes like cannelloni or lasagna can be prepared hours in advance and slipped into the oven just before guests arrive, leaving me free to enjoy my company without fussing in the kitchen. Cannelloni, in particular, is one of my favorites—it feels special, looks impressive, and offers endless possibilities for fillings.
On a recent evening, I found myself craving mushrooms and decided to create a version filled with tender ground veal and earthy porcini. The filling is wrapped in pasta sheets, then blanketed with a silky béchamel sauce that I enhanced with a touch of porcini powder. That small addition intensifies the mushroom flavor and makes the sauce every bit as memorable as the filling. If you can’t find porcini powder in a specialty store, it’s easy to make your own by grinding dried porcini into a fine powder in a spice grinder or food processor.
In Umbria, where fresh porcini are a rare find, I often rely on frozen mushrooms, which work beautifully here. If you prefer, you can use a medley of fresh wild mushrooms for variety, or even substitute your favorite cultivated mushrooms for a more accessible option. However you prepare it, this baked pasta delivers rich, layered flavors and makes an elegant centerpiece for a dinner party.
Buon Appetito!
Deborah Mele
Ingredients
- 1 Recipe Egg Pasta
- 1 Pound Ground Veal
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1/2 Cup White Wine
- 1 Medium Onion, Finely Diced
- 1 Pound Chopped Mushrooms (Porcini, Portabello, or Your Favorite Mix)
- 3 Cloves Garlic, Peeled And Minced
- 1 Cup Ricotta Cheese
- Salt & Pepper
- 1 Tablespoon Finely Chopped Fresh Thyme
- 1/4 Cup Chopped Fresh Parsley
- 1 1/2 Cups Grated Parmesan Cheese
Mushroom Béchamel Sauce:
- 3 Cups Whole Milk
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- 4 Tablespoons Flour
- Pinch of Salt
- 1 Tablespoon Dried Porcini Powder (See Note Above)
Instructions
- To make the béchamel, melt the butter over medium heat, and when foaming, add the flour and stir briskly with a whisk or spoon.
- Cook for about 2 minutes, then slowly add the milk and porcini powder, whisking continuously.
- Cook for about 3-4 minutes more, until it is of medium-thick consistency, similar to a runny pudding or yogurt.
- Remove from heat and set aside. Makes about 3 cups.
- To make the filling, heat the olive oil in a large pan and cook the meat until it is no longer pink.
- Add the onions, garlic, and mushrooms and continue to cook until the veal, onions and mushrooms begun to brown, about 10 minutes.
- Add the wine and cook over medium heat until it has been absorbed.
- Place the veal and mushroom mixture into a bowl to cool.
- Add the ricotta cheese, fresh chopped thyme, and parsley.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Prepare the egg pasta, and cut into 8 four and a half inch squares.
- Cook the pasta sheets in boiling water for just 1 minute, then plunge into cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Preheat an oven to 450 degrees F.
- Place about 1/3 cup filling into the center of each pasta sheet, and roll up into a cylinder.
- Once all sheets are filled, place about 1 cup of the béchamel on the bottom of a 9 x 12 inch pan, and then lay the cannelloni’s on top of this.
- Spread the remaining béchamel on top, then sprinkle with the grated cheese.
- Bake until bubbling and golden, about 30 to 40 minutes.
- Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
- Carefully remove the cannelloni, two to a plate, and serve hot.