I was about nine years old when I had my first bite of cannelloni. My dad’s business had just moved into a charming brick building in the heart of Vancouver’s historic Gastown. Each time we went to visit him at work, my mum and I first stopped at the famous steam clock on the corner, which entertained tourists and kids alike when it played a tune and blew out steam every quarter hour. Years later, I worked at a restaurant directly across the street from that clock and was promptly transported back to my childhood every fifteen minutes.
When we dropped into my dad’s office for a visit, it was often around lunchtime. On the first floor of the building, looking out onto the working train yard and harbor beyond, was one of Vancouver restaurateur Umberto Menghi’s eateries. Eating at Al Porto marked my foray into traditional Italian food. I was hooked. I wasn’t a kid to be put off by unfamiliar dishes, and was tempted by the description of the cannelloni – tubes of pasta, filled with a mixture of ricotta and spinach, and topped with a hearty tomato sauce. The steaming oval dish of baked pasta arrived and I took my first bite. I remember the sensation of my teeth sinking through the tender pasta into the creamy ricotta. Cannelloni immediately became a good word in my fledgling vocabulary.
In North America, the terms cannelloni and manicotti are often used interchangeably. However, if you have an Italian grandmother or simply know a lot of Italian food, you may know that there is a distinction between the two. Cannelloni is made of a pasta sheet that is boiled in water, filled with a mixture of ricotta and spinach or meat, rolled, topped with either a tomato or Bechamel and then baked. Alternatively, manicotti is actually an Italian crepe stuffed with a variety of fillings.
This version is a somewhat bastardized version of the original. The sheets of pasta are stuffed with a mixture of ground turkey, ricotta, roasted red bell peppers and spinach, rolled, and topped with a tomato sauce. Umberto may not approve, but my family certainly did. The beauty of this recipe is that it can be made the day ahead and then baked before serving.
The recipe:
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil and add no-boil lasagne noodles (yes, we’re flying in the face of danger). Stir gently while cooking so that the noodle do not stick to each other. Cook for 6 minutes. Gently remove with a slotted spoon or tongs, and place the noodles directly into a bowl of cold water.
Gently lay the noodles on a clean kitchen towel and dab off moisture with paper towel.
The filling:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and saute until they are just turning brown, about 2 minutes. Add minced garlic and saute for additional 30 seconds. Add ground turkey and cook, breaking up with wooden spoon, until turkey is cooked through. Put a lid on top (slightly askew) and pour any accumulated juice out of the pan. Transfer turkey mixture to a large bowl.
Stir in baby spinach leaves and roasted red peppers. Mix well.
Allow the mixture then cool, then stir in ricotta and Parmesan cheeses, dried chile flakes, nutmeg, basil and parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
At one short end of each lasagne noodle, place 1/3 cup turkey mixture. Roll up noodles to form tubes.
Prepare a 9- by 13-inch baking pan by spreading 3/4 cup tomato sauce on the bottom. Arrange pasta tubes, seam-sides down, in the pan. Spread additional 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce on top, and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.
Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for additional 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Other stuffed pasta recipes:
Simply Recipes’ Sausage, Spinach Ricotta Stuffed Pasta Shells
Bell’alimento’s Lasagne all Bolognese
Amanda’s Cookin’s Baked Manicotti with Prosciutto
Turkey Cannelloni with Roasted Peppers & Spinach
12 “No-boil” lasagne noodles
Filling:
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. ground turkey
1 cup (packed) baby spinach leaves
1 roasted red bell pepper (2 halves), thinly sliced
12 oz. low-fat ricotta cheese
1 cup (packed) grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 tsp dried chile flakes
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
2 tbsp chopped Italian parsley
3/4 tsp kosher salt (to taste)
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
2 cups tomato sauce
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil and add no-boil lasagne noodles (yes, we’re flying in the face of danger). Stir gently while cooking so that the noodle do not stick to each other. Cook for 6 minutes. Gently remove with a slotted spoon or tongs, and place the noodles directly into a bowl of cold water.
Gently lay the noodles on a clean kitchen towel and dab off moisture with paper towel.
The filling:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and saute until they are just turning brown, about 2 minutes. Add minced garlic and saute for additional 30 seconds. Add ground turkey and cook, breaking up with wooden spoon, until turkey is cooked through. Put a lid on top (slightly askew) and pour any accumulated juice out of the pan. Transfer turkey mixture to a large bowl.
Stir in baby spinach leaves and roasted red peppers. Mix well.
Allow the mixture then cool, then stir in ricotta and Parmesan cheeses, dried chile flakes, nutmeg, basil and parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
At one short end of each lasagne noodle, place 1/3 cup turkey mixture. Roll up noodles to form tubes.
Prepare a 9- by 13-inch baking pan by spreading 3/4 cup tomato sauce on the bottom. Arrange pasta tubes, seam-sides down, in the pan. Spread additional 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce on top, and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.
Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for additional 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Serves 4 to 6 (12 tubes).
Lauren's Latest
OH MY! These look awesome. My mouth is watering and I haven't had breakfast yet!
Jenny
Now this is my kind of dinner Dara! Wish we were closer, you are incredible!! xoxo
Maria
Cannelloni is one of my favorite meals! Looks great!
Kathy - Panini Happy
This just went onto my menu plan for next week – sounds like something we'll all love!
Ang
The whole thing looks amazing!!! I sure love the little history on your first cannelloni experience. It's funny how things like food can stick out so vividly in our minds. I'm craving Italian now:)
Pegasuslegend
Fabulous recipe and I know my family would love this!
EatLiveRun
beautiful photography and mouth watering meal!
Megan
I now have a craving! 🙂 And lasagna noodles I need to use up.
Heather @ Heather's Dish
This sound divine…it reminds me of the meals we made for my mom every mother's day!
ravienomnoms
That looks so good!
Georgia (The Comfort of Cooking)
You take such stunning photos and always have such lovely recipes! This would be a sure hit on my dinner table… Bookmarking your recipe to try sometime next week! Thanks so much.
RecipeGirl
What a beautiful meal. I want to make it just cause it's pretty!!
www.kevinandamanda.com
This looks amazing! Love it!
Wilde in the Kitchen
These look really tasty, like an italian enchilada 🙂 Great healthy dinner option!
guava
This is one of my most favourite dishes and I order it whenever I go to an Italian restaurant if it's on the menu. This is an delicious-looking recipe. Would you be able to cook this and then freeze it?
Torviewtoronto
deliciously done looks wonderful
Belinda @zomppa
What a perfect meal! It's not only beautiful but just full of so many delicious flavors.
Katrina
I love meals tied to memories! This really looks amazing – and made with love! ♥- Katrina
Kalyn
It looks delicious, and the photos really outline the steps so well!
Evan @swEEts
I unfortunately do not have an Italian grandmother, so I'm going to need to make this myself very soon.. it sounds fabulous!
Cinda
That looks so good! My sister makes cannelloni with ricotta and spinach and I think I'll have to have a go at your recipe.
Tracy
Okay, I absolutely need to try these. A co-worker of mine made us chicken cannnelloni once, but I had no idea what kind of noodles she used. I'm going to have to hunt down these lasagna noodles and finally make my own!
Alison @ Ingredients, Inc.
These look fantastic! I can't wait to make this! Your site rocks!
Jessica @ How Sweet
This looks incredible – some wonderful comfort food!!
Paula - bell'alimento
Can I come over? I'd REALLY like some of this right now. Delicious Dara!
Melissa @IWasBornToCook
mmmm…this looks delicious!
miss
YUM, YUM, YUM! This looks like a fantastic meal. I appreciated the clarification on manicotti & cannelloni.
Lindsey @ Gingerbread Bagels
Wow those look amazing, I wish I had these cannelloni for dinner instead! I just adore roasted peppers and I love how you added them to the cannelloni. 🙂
Mary
You make the most incredible dishes! This is beautiful!
Great blog; happy I found you!
Mary xo
Delightful Bitefuls
Deeba PAB
Absolutely delicious. It's leaping off my screen Dara…I'm HUNGRY!
warmvanillasugar
Great dinner idea! This looks like perfect comfort food.
Pretend Chef
This looks so delicious! What a fantastic meal. It feels like a romantic dish. I would love to make this for my guy and I.
Becky at VintageMixer
This looks mighty tasty Dara! Italian food is my weakness.
Lana @ Never Enough Thyme
Wow, Dara, this recipe is a real winner for sure! Italian is probably my favorite "ethnic" cuisine and whenever we go out for dinner 9 times out 10 it's to an Italian restaurant. Hubs is going to love it when I make your Turkey Cannelloni recipe 🙂
Emily Malloy
This looks heavenly!
A SPICY PERSPECTIVE
Dara, this is such a gorgeous and comforting recipe! I do not have an Italian grandmother and didn't realize there was a real difference. Thanks for the little vocab lesson! 😉
carolinaheartstrings
That looks amazingly wonderful.
Cake Duchess
Hi Dara-You know this is tempting me! Looks delicious!!I need to make this for the kids. Your photos are gorgeous:)
carbdiva.blogspot.com
I love your photos. I can almost smell how good these are.
Rosemary
Cannelloni is my all time favorite dish, to eat and make! I've always made my own crepes; using no-boil lasagne noodles is a wonderful idea. I will try this!
Briana
This looks so wonderful and impressive! I cannot wait to make this! Thanks for sharing!
Shelby
This looks fabulous! I can't wait until we try it. Grumpy loves anything Italian. 🙂
Elle
Oh, wow-I've always wanted to make cannelloni! We used to go to this Italian restaurant all the time, and this is all I would order, because they were addictive. I love the combination you've used here-they're heavenly!
marla
Love your memories of the steam clock and that this can be prepared the day before baking. Never did know that manicotti was actually crepes.
This is a beautiful dish that I should make for my family asap! xo
Fuji Mama
What is it about tubes of pasta stuffed with cheesy goodness that is so darn addicting? All I know is that I take one look at your photos and I know it's time for me to have some. 😉
blackbookkitchendiaries
this dish looks beautiful! you are so talented. thank you for sharing this with us and have a great weekend.
wenderly
Oh my do those look d-i-v-i-n-e! Boy, will My Yanni be a happy camper when these grace his plate! Thanks Dara!
The Food Hunter
these look so darn good!
Li
Making these for dinner tonight! Can’t wait.
Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
I hope you enjoy them!
Amy in Toronto
Thanks so much for this recipe! I made it for my husband and my mother-in-law lastnight and it got rave reviews! My mother-in-law even took home a doggie bag and called me today to tell me again how good it tastes! I looked like a superstar chef because of you!
Gail
I made this the other night . It was delicious. Great recipe, tastes even better the next day! Thanks so much, love your blog.
Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
Gail, I’m so glad you enjoyed it. You’re right – the next day’s leftovers are always the best.
Becca
Hey, this looks great and I am going to make it for my family tomorrow night — ingredients bought and all.
On a weird note, (small world), I actually know who you are… and know one or two of your friends VERY well. And here I am surfing one of my favourite sites (Food Gawker) and there you are!
Thanks for the recipe!
Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
Becca, thanks so much for commenting! Of course I know who you are – our mutual friend speaks so fondly of you. It is indeed a very small world. I hope you enjoy the cannelloni.
Becca
The cannelloni was *greatly* appreciated by all, very picky kids included! Thanks! 🙂