Recipe(tried): Canelloni from the Groaning Board

My wife (who cooked the meals) and I regret cancelling our subscription. Garides Me Saltsa is our favorite.

CANNELLONI

FOR THE PASTA:
1 1/2 lbs. Homemade E Pasta (one recipe)
6 to 8 quarts water
1 Tbsp. salt
2Tbsp. oil

*Note: If you have a good Italian delicatessen locally and you don't want to make the fresh pasta yourself you might be able to purchase it. If you can, order 1 4/2 1bs. egg noodle dough (uncut), or 40 (3 x4-inch) rectangles.

1. Cut the paper-thin pasta dough (rolled out by hand on a floured board or by using a pasta machine) into 3x4-inch rectangles. You should get approximately 40 rectangles from 1 recipe (1-1/2 lbs.) of egg pasta.

2. Bring the salted water to a rolling boil in a large soup kettle. Add the oil. Drop in the pasta rectangles one by one, and stir gently with a wooden spoon to keep them from sticking together. Cook 5-6 pasta squares at a time.* (A good way to cook them is to use a deep-frying basket. Then it is easy to remove them all just as they are finished cooking.) Bring water to a boil again and cook the pasta for 3 minutes after the water has returned to a boil. Cook just until pasta is al dente (still firm to the bite). It's very important not to overcook pasta - espcia1ly the homemade type. When its overcookcd, pasta is mushy and tasteless and in the case of cannelloni or ravioli, the dough will tear apart before it can be stuffed and rolled. Also remember that it will finish cooking when it is baked.

3. As soon as pasta is al dente, remove them from the pot using a skimming or slotted spoon (or use a deep frying basket as mentioned above) and then immediately plunge them into a large bowl or pot of cold water. This will stop the cooking and will keep the pasta from sticking together until you can Lay them out.

4. Tear off a sheet of waxed paper and put the cannelloni rectangles on one next to another. Leave a little water on the pasta squares. This will1 keep them from drying out. Cover the pasta with another sheet of waxed paper and make another layer. Continue in this way until all the pasta squares have been cooked, cooled and laid out on waxed paper. Cover the top with plastic wrap. They can be held like this for an hour or so before they begin to dry out.

*Note To cook fresh pasta properly, it is important not to to overload the pot. Cooking large batches of pasta at once adds too much starch to the water, and causes the squares to stick together. Be sure to bring the water back to a rolling boil before adding each batch of pasta.

FOR THE FILLING:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
I onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry, and coarse1y chopped again (or 2 bunches fresh spinach, cooked, drained, squeezed dry, and finely chopped)
2Tbsp.butter
1 lb. lean ground beef
3 chicken livers
2/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, imported if possible
4 Tbsp. heavy cream
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 tsp. crumbled dried oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
10 grinds fresh black pepper (or 1/4 cup)
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1. Heat the olive oil in a large enameled stainless steel frying pan. Saute the onion over a medium heat stirring frequently, until they are soft, but not brown. This may take up to 5 or 6 minutes. Add the spinach, and cook for several minutes, stirring constantly, until it begins to stick to the bottom of the pan. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.

2. Melt 1 tbsp. of the butter in the saute pan and saute the ground beef over a medium-high until it is lightly browned. Stir the beef constantly and break it up into small pieces. Add the beef to the mixing bowl.

3. Melt the other 1 tbsp. of butter in the same skillet and saute the chicken livers for 3-4 minutes, turning them frequently, until they have firmed up and are lightly browned, but still a little pink and juicy inside. Cool them slightly and then mince them. Add them to the onion-spinach-beef mixture together with the parmesan cheese, beaten eggs, whipping cream, ricotta cheese, dried oregano, salt and pepper. Stir well with a wooden spoon and taste for salt and pepper. We blended the filling in a food processor for a light, finer-textured filling. This step is not necessary, however.

ASSEMBLING CANNELLONI:
40 cooked pasta rectangles
1 recipe Cannelloni filling
1 quart Besciamella Sauce
2 quarts Marteo Rinaldi's Marinara Sauce
6 Tbsp. freshly grated, imported parmesan cheese

1 . Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Pour a thin film of the tomato sauce into two shallow 9x13-inch or 10x14-inch baking-and-serving dishes.

3. Place 1-2 Tbsp. of the filling on the bottom third of each pasta rectangle arid roll it up.*

4. Lay the cannelloni next to one another on top of the tomato sauce. Don't stack them on top of each ocher or they'll be difficult to serve. Pour the cream sauce over them and then pour tomato sauce over the Besciamella Sauce. Any extra tomato sauce may be frozen for future use. Sprinkle the top with the grated parmesan cheese.

5. Bake the uncovered Cannelloni casseroles in the middle of the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the sauces are bubbly hot and the cheese is melted. You may brown the top of the casserole by sliding it under a hot broiler for 30-45 seconds.

6. The cannelloni may be completely prepared (filled, rolled, and covered with its two sauces), tightly wrapped and plastic wrap and then refrigerated for up to 3 days. It may also be frozen for several weeks. If its made ahead and frozen, thaw the cannelloni completely in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before baking.

7. In this recipe, we have planned for 40 cannelloni, which can feed up to 15 people. They are rich and unless you have big eaters, we recommend that you plan to cook about 20 of them and freeze the rest for another delicious meal.

*Note: If you have a pastry bag, you may use it (without a tip) to quickly pipe the filling onto the pasta squares.

Source: The Groaning Board