How to cook Italian cannelloni: tastier than traditional lasagna

Cannelloni are dough tubes that can be made with completely different fillings. And they can be used as the basis for lasagna by simply choosing the right ingredients. The technology is much simpler, as there is no need to prepare and roll out the dough separately.

The idea of cooking Italian cannelloni instead of lasagna was published on the Instagram page of food blogger Oksana Kretsul (oksana_kretsul).

Ingredients:

• chicken/minced chicken - 500-600 grams
• cannelloni (pasta) - 2 packs (450-500 grams)
• onions - 2 pieces
• garlic - 4 cloves
• carrot - 1 pc.
• celery - 2 stalks
• pepper - 1 pc.
• canned tomatoes / pelati / sauce - 400 grams
• salt
• ground black pepper
• sweet/smoked paprika
• favorite spices
• chili (optional)
• mozzarella - 100 grams
• Suluguni - 100 grams
• Parmesan cheese - 50-60 grams
• olive oil

Ingredients for the bechamel sauce:

• butter - 50 grams
• milk - 1-1.2 liters (can be mixed with water)
• flour - 3 tbsp
• nutmeg
• salt
• pepper

Method of preparation:

1. Grind the chicken fillet into minced meat.

2. Cut all vegetables into thin strips and then into cubes. Chop the garlic as well.

3. Fry the onion in olive oil until golden brown, then add the garlic for 30 seconds and celery immediately. Stew for a while.

4. After a while, add carrots and peppers, salt and pepper, cover, and cook over low heat. The vegetables should be soft.

5. Add the minced meat and all the spices to the vegetables. Add oil as needed.

6. Add the canned tomatoes and simmer under the lid. Always taste the bolognese and add spices if necessary. Set aside the sauce to cool.

7. For the bechamel, melt the butter, add the flour, and add the milk in small portions. You can dilute the milk a little with water. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir the sauce constantly. Whisk with a whisk to avoid lumps of flour. You can strain through a sieve.

8. Grate all the cheese, mix some of it with minced meat (bolognese sauce), and fill the cannelloni with it. This can be done either with a small spoon or with a culinary syringe.

9. Add a little béchamel sauce to the bottom of the baking sheet and then place the stuffed cannelloni.

10. Pour the hot bechamel sauce over the top and sprinkle with cheese.

11. Bake under the foil for 30 minutes at 170-180 degrees, 10 minutes without foil. The time depends on the oven.

12. During the baking process, you can press the top layer of cannelloni so that it is immersed in the sauce.