Ricotta And Chicken Cannelloni

Cannelloni or manicotti is a typical Italian food. Tube like pasta filled with cheese,meat or herbs drizzled with marinara sauce and sprinkled with more cheese can be found all over Italy for lunch,dinner or supper.  I first tried cannelloni in an Italian restaurant and smitten with the taste.

Warm ricotta cheese oozes out in every single bite is a perfect combination to the marinara sauce. The basil leaves added to the pasta sauce gives a refreshing taste to the rich dish. Try variation on the filling with Italian sausage,shredded crab meat,spinach or mince lamb.Cannelloni is a great meal to dish out for family to enjoy a good weeknight supper.


Ingredients

250 gm ricotta cheese
250 ml pasta sauce
250 gm,chicken chunks
6 cannelonni pasta tubes
1 medium onion,finely chopped
2 cloves garlic,crushed
1 cup water
1 egg
1/3 cup parmesan cheese,grated
1 tbsp basil,finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste




Methods

Preheat oven at 350'F or 180'C

In a bowl combine egg and ricotta cheese. Stir well

In a large pot, boil cannelloni tubes for 1-2 minutes. Do not over cook the pasta. The pasta should be al-dente which is firm to bite

Heat oil in a saucepan and saute the onion and garlic for a minute. Add the chicken and cook for 2 minutes. Add the pasta sauce,water,basil and season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Remove from heat

Spread half of the pasta sauce in the bottom of a 13x9' inch baking tray. Fill cannelloni tubes with cheese mixture and arrange on the baking tray. Pour the remaining pasta sauce on the top. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven

Cool on wire rack for 5 minutes

Goes well with garden salad


Notes

• To fill the the cheese mixture into the cannelloni tubes, use a zip log plastic bag, fill the bag with cheese mixture and snip off the end. Gently squeeze the cheese mixture into the cannelloni tubes.