Main Course Recipes : Meat Filled Cannelloni

Ingredients :

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 pound lean ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
One quarter cup dry sherry
2 eggs
1 cup Parmesan cheese
4 oz. Canadian bacon, diced
4 oz. prosciutto, diced
One quarter cup fresh parsley
Extra grated Parmesan cheese
1 16-oz. jar marinara sauce

Heat oil in a skillet and brown ground beef (We used ground buffalo. It tastes great and is very low in fat), add onion and garlic and saute until tender. Add dry sherry and cook for several minutes over low heat. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. In a food processor, process meat mixture along with eggs, cheese, Canadian bacon, prosciutto and fresh parsley. Process until smooth but still somewhat crumbly. The next step is to fill 4 x 5-inch flat cooked pasta sheets with mixture. You may buy pasta sheets or make then on your own, recipe to follow.

Pasta Recipe

Ingredients :

2 and one half cups all-purpose flour
One half cup cake flour
1 Tbsp. olive oil
5 eggs, beaten
Pasta Press

Place both flours in a food processor and pulse together. Add eggs and olive oil and pulse until a smooth dough ball forms. Place dough ball on a lightly floured surface and knead for several minutes. Separate dough into 4 equal parts and wrap in plastic wrap. Allow to sit for 30 minutes. Remove one part of the dough at a time and knead slightly. Flatten out and fold into a rectangle and start through a pasta press. Start on the highest setting and run the pasta through several times, then switch to the next setting and run through only once, ending with the next to last setting. You should end up with a long sheet of pasta that is approximately 4 inches wide and several feet long. Cut the pasta into 5 inch sheets. Place pasta sheets in boiling water for only a couple of minutes (fresh past cooks very fast). Place cooked pasta sheets in cold water to stop cooking process. Remove and pat dry before filling.

If you a using dry pasta, cook according to manufacturer's instructions and then drain. To fill cannelloni, spread 2 Tbsp. of mixture on each sheet and roll up. Place the marinara sauce along the bottom of a 13 x 9 inch baking dish and place each filled cannelloni seam side down in the pan. You may need two pans because this recipe makes a lot. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and bake at 375 for about 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and golden brown.

Tips : With the filling, use the leanest beef (or buffalo) you can find and your favorite egg substitute. I would not use egg substitute if you are making your own pasta.

Spinach Caesar Salad

Ingredients :

6 cups baby spinach, washed and patted dry
1 clove garlic
Two thirds cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
One quarter cup olive oil
One half tsp. fresh ground pepper
Salt and pepper to taste Croutons

Rub the garlic clove along the inside of a wooden bowl and discard clove. Place spinach in bowl and sprinkle with cheese. Mix together mustard, vinegar, oil and salt and pepper in a salad cruet and shake well. Pour over spinach just before serving and toss. Sprinkle with croutons and serve.