Chicken Cannelloni is a delicious Italian dish featuring pasta tubes stuffed with a creamy mixture of chicken, spinach, and cheese, then topped with tomato sauce and cheese, and baked until golden and delectable.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: 2 ¾ cups
- Salt: ½ teaspoon
- Eggs: 4 large
- Water: 2 tablespoons
- Spinach: 5.3 ounces (fresh, baby leaves)
- Chicken: 2 ½ cups (cooked and shredded)
- Ricotta cheese: 1 cup (whole milk)
- Parmesan cheese: ¼ cup (grated)
- Salt: ½ teaspoon (for the filling)
- Nutmeg: ¼ teaspoon (ground)
- Black pepper: ½ teaspoon
- Egg: 1 (for the filling)
- Store-bought marinara sauce: 24 ounces
- Mozzarella cheese: 8 ounces (fresh, torn or chopped)
- Parmesan cheese: ¼ cup (for topping)
Instructions
- Combine the flour and salt in a food processor. Gradually add the eggs and process until a cohesive dough forms. If the dough needs to be softer, add water gradually.
- Knead the dough lightly, then cover it and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Place the spinach in a skillet over medium heat and sauté until wilted. Let it cool, then drain off any excess water.
- In a bowl, mix the shredded chicken with the wilted spinach, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg, salt, pepper, and nutmeg until the filling is well combined.
- Roll out the dough into thin sheets and cut them into appropriately sized rectangles.
- Place a portion of the filling inside each rectangle, then roll them up to form cannelloni tubes.
- Spread a layer of marinara sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Arrange the cannelloni rolls in the dish and pour the remaining sauce over them.
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated oven at 375°F (190°C) for approximately 40 minutes.
- Remove the aluminum foil, then top with the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Return the dish to the oven until the cheese is melted and golden brown. Serve the cannelloni hot.
