Tastes like home.
Filled with creamy ricotta and the sweet, grassy, cold freshness of parsley, and bound with the warming rasps of fresh nutmeg, this was the dish that made me a cook.
Guy Mirabella says…
Cooking is good for you. The easiest comparison I can make is the feeling of joy and familiarity I get from drawing, painting or designing a book. It has fuelled an integration of work, life, kitchen and studio – the lines of what it means to be multilingual are blurred.
I’ve been cooking for a long time, starting as a child growing up at Tyabb on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, at Cumbrae Farm. I was probably five when I started spelling in the flour at the edge of Mum’s pasta-making, like plaster dust creeping its way closer to the tubes of paint. Or sipping coffee from gilt-edged espresso cups on the verandah with Sicilian playing cards, a kaleidoscope of colours courtesy of the kitsch gifts from newly arrived cousins.
I am a home cook with no chef credentials. I write recipes for food I grew up eating. Many of my favourite recipes come from Sunday pranzo: lunch at Cumbrae Farm was surrounded by Italian flavours. The food I love to eat and make is layered with Sicilian heritage and history. I grew up hearing the call to lunch: pranzo e pronto.
The winters at Cumbrae were imbued with Western Port Bay winds with layers like ice tissue paper surrounding the farm. By mid-morning the fire was roaring and the moment had arrived to make pasta for cannelloni. Filled with creamy ricotta and the sweet, grassy, cold freshness of parsley, and bound with the warming rasps of fresh nutmeg, this was the dish that made me a cook.
And now it’s time for you to enjoy this loved family recipe. Do try making them with fresh pasta sheets – it makes all the difference – but store‑bought lasagne sheets are still beautiful to eat. You’ll start calling your family in a Sicilian dialect in no time: mangia bello, mangia bella, mangia angeli all mia tavola.
Ingredients
Makes 24 cannelloni
Tomato Sauce
80ml extra virgin olive oil
1 large finely chopped brown onion
2 sliced garlic cloves
salt
1.5kg roughly chopped tomatoes
4 teaspoons white sugar
250ml water
Handful fresh basil leaves
Ricotta Filling
1kg smooth ricotta
1 cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 eggs
pinch of nutmeg
sea salt
Fresh Pasta
400g plain or tipo 00 flour
250ml lukewarm water
Or use store bought fresh lasagne sheets
Finely grated pecorino cheese, plus extra for serving
200g fontina cheese
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease two 23 x 30cm ovenproof dishes with oil.
Make the tomato sauce. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over low heat, add the onion and gently cook until soft, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and fry for an extra minute. Season with salt, then add the tomatoes, sugar and water. Slowly bring to the boil, then cook on a low–medium heat for 35–45 minutes, stirring occasionally to stop the sauce sticking to the bottom of the pan. Leave as is for that lovely rustic texture, or, for a smooth sauce, pass through a mouli (food mill) or blend with a hand-held blender. Add a handful of fresh basil leaves and set aside.
In a large bowl combine the ricotta, parsley, eggs and nutmeg. Season with salt and mix to combine.
To make fresh pasta, put the flour in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the water. Using a fork or the tips of your fingers, begin to stir in the flour from the inside and gradually incorporate more flour to form a rough textured ball. Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 minutes, until smooth. Cover the dough with a clean tea towel and rest for 30 minutes.
Once rested, cut the dough into four portions and cover with cling wrap to stop a dried crust from forming. With each portion of pasta dough, press down to make a rectangle shape, then use a rolling pin or a pasta machine to roll it out until it is thin and smooth. Cut into 24 squares, with sides roughly measuring 130mm. Set aside, covered, until ready to use.
To assemble the cannelloni, spread a cup of tomato sauce over the base of both ovenproof dishes. Top each square pasta sheet with ¼ cup of the ricotta filling along the centre and roll. Place in a baking dish, seam-side down. Repeat with the remaining pasta sheets and ricotta filling. Spread the remaining tomato mixture over the top of the cannelloni in each dish, and sprinkle with the pecorino and slices of fontina cheese.
Cook for 45 minutes or until golden. Serve as is to the table for guests to help themselves.
PRANZO: SICILIAN(ISH) RECIPES & STORIES BY GUY MIRABELLA IS OUT NOW.
Published in ed#740